Forum of Intelligentsia Declared September 15 Day of Capital

The Forum of Azerbaijani Intelligentsia (FAI) has declared September 15 - the day when 94 years ago the Turkish Corps of the Caucasian Islamic Army liberated Baku from enemy forces - the Day of the Capital. That proposal was made yesterday at the conference "September 15 - Turkey's role in the liberation of Baku from the occupation and the Azerbaijani-Turkish relations", organized by the FAI.

According to the historian Hasanli, in the history of Baku there is no more important day than September 15.

On this day in 1918, the Turkish troops of the Caucasian Islamic Army liberated Baku from the SR-Menshevik government called Central Caspian Dictatorship and the armed groups of the Armenian party ARF that conducted genocide against the civilian Azerbaijani population in March-April 1918. 

Thanks to the release of Baku, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic's (ADR) government was able to move from Ganja to the capital (this government was declared in Tiflis (Tbilisi) on May 28, 1918).

"History knows very few examples of empires helping republics, since empires saw republics as their enemies," said Hasanli, drawing attention to the fact that the Ottoman government helped the young Azerbaijan Republic.

In this Hasanli drew attention to the fact that the events occurred on the background of the aspirations of other imperialist states to capture Baku's oilfields. 

The former deputy head of the Milli Majlis committee on international relations Gultekin Hajibeyli regarded the liberation of Baku as "truly a day of salvation."

She said with regret that the memory of the Turkish soldiers who died for the liberation of Baku is not perpetuated in Azerbaijan. 

In her view, it is necessary to erect monuments in the capital to the Turkish generals Nuri Pasha and Enver Pasha, who played an important role in the liberation of Baku.

Along with this, Hajibeyli also noted the need to establish a monument in Baku also to the leader of the ADR Mamed Emin Rasulzadeh.

Referring to the current bilateral relations, Hajibeyli urged Baku to cancel visa requirements for Turkish citizens.

The historian Nasib Nasibli stressed that the Azerbaijani-Turkish relations should not depend on the vagaries of the incoming and outgoing governments.

FAI intends to formally raise the proposals made at the conference before the state. -16C06 -