Bill on Shusha Declaration submitted to Turkish parliament speaker's office

By Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA (AA) - A bill on the historic Shusha Declaration signed on June 15, 2021 was submitted to the Turkish parliament speaker's office Tuesday.

Signed by Parliament Speaker Mustafa Sentop, it envisages the raising of relations between Turkiye and Azerbaijan to the level of an alliance, the office announced.

It was then referred to parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee.

Emphasizing that Armenia's groundless allegations against Turkiye and attempts to distort history are damaging peace and stability in the region, the declaration states that the opening of the Zangezur corridor connecting Turkiye and Azerbaijan and the Nakhichevan-Kars railway will contribute to the strengthening of relations.

Turkey and Azerbaijan signed the Shusha Declaration, which focuses on defense cooperation and establishing new transportation routes.

The event was attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who met in the historic city of Shusha, which was liberated in November 2020 from nearly 30 years of Armenian occupation.

The declaration affirms joint efforts by the two armies in the face of foreign threats and the restructuring and modernization of their armed forces.

Turkey was a key backer of Azerbaijan during the 44-day Karabakh war between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which erupted on Sept. 27, 2020 and ended with a Russian-brokered cease-fire on Nov. 10.