One Year After the Anti-Terrorist Operation, Sovereignty Day...

According to a decree signed by President Ilham Aliyev, September 20 will be annually celebrated in Azerbaijan as State Sovereignty Day.

The decree states that victory was achieved in the 44-day Patriotic War that began on September 27, 2020. On September 19, 2023, an anti-terrorist operation commenced in Azerbaijan's Karabakh Economic Region. As a result of this operation, which lasted only 23 hours and concluded on September 20, the valiant Azerbaijani army successfully accomplished all its assigned tasks at a high professional level. Thus, with this latest brilliant victory, Azerbaijan's sovereignty was fully restored.

Conflictologist Elkhan Mehtiev discusses this in the program "Complex Question."

According to him, on this day, Azerbaijan established its sovereignty over its entire internationally recognized territory for the first time since 1918. Regarding the exclaves (the villages of Kyarki, Barkhudarli-Sofulu, Yukhari-Askipara) under Armenian control, they will be returned through negotiations.

Addressing the ongoing discussions in Azerbaijani media, among experts, and even from official representatives about the necessity of returning Zangazur to Azerbaijan, creating the Zangazur and Yerevan republics, Mehtiev stated that discussing this topic in society should not escalate into conflicts.

"Pluralism of opinions can only be welcomed. However, it should not be turned into politics," said the expert.

According to the conflictologist, the issue of Zangazur has become prominent due to the dispute between Moscow and Yerevan over control of the communications connecting Azerbaijan with its exclave, Nakhchivan. According to a trilateral statement dated November 10, the Armenian side committed to opening communications between Azerbaijan and its exclave, Nakhchivan. Armenia is resisting this, causing the resolution of this issue to be delayed. Consequently, the Azerbaijani side presents an ultimatum—if you do not want to restore communications, we will do it ourselves. Corresponding statements have been made regarding this matter.

Following this, both Armenia itself and pro-Armenian circles abroad have raised issues aimed at discrediting Azerbaijan and gaining supporters, creating an anti-Azerbaijani coalition, stirring up a fuss by claiming that Azerbaijan intends to occupy Armenia's sovereign territory. However, in reality, Azerbaijan harbors no annexationist plans.

"He does not intend to carve a path through Zangazur nor seize it. He has no territorial claims," he emphasized.