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Elnur Enveroglu

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The 19 September anti-terrorist operation in Garabagh marked not just a military success for Azerbaijan but a watershed in the country’s modern history. Within a matter of hours, the Azerbaijani armed forces dismantled the remnants of illegal armed formations entrenched in the region, thereby restoring constitutional order and securing the nation’s territorial integrity. And as the following day, 20 September, was declared Azerbaijan’s Sovereignty Day, the symbolism could not have been stronger: sovereignty once compromised was now fully restored.

What is striking is not only the decisiveness of the operation itself but also the political strategy that enabled it; an outcome of President Ilham Aliyev’s farsighted diplomacy, combined with Azerbaijan’s resilience against international pressures that might have otherwise derailed this course.

For decades, Garabagh was a theatre of conflict and uncertainty, a sore point in Azerbaijan’s sovereignty. The 44-day Patriotic War of 2020 broke the back of the occupation, liberating vast swathes of territory. Yet, pockets of illegality persisted, sustained by external patrons and entrenched separatist networks. The events of September 2023 were, in this context, not an isolated action but the final phase of a long and deliberate policy to assert the rule of law across the entirety of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognised borders.

President Aliyev’s role in bringing this outcome to fruition cannot be overstated. His strategy was never one of reckless confrontation but of measured persistence. He combined strength on the ground with a skilful balancing act in foreign policy. In the years leading up to September 2023, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief had consolidated Azerbaijan’s alliances, nurtured pragmatic ties with global powers, and ensured that Baku was no longer the isolated party in the dispute. Azerbaijan was increasingly recognised as a reliable energy partner to Europe, a stabilising force in the South Caucasus, and a credible player in multilateral institutions.

This diplomatic groundwork ensured that, when the moment came, Azerbaijan could act decisively without becoming trapped by international censure. Indeed, international actors predictably voiced “concerns”, but Azerbaijan held firm, confident that its actions were grounded in international law. The anti-terrorist operation was not a war of choice; it was the restoration of sovereignty against illegal armed groups that had refused integration, obstructed peace, and posed a direct threat to Azerbaijani civilians and security forces.

Equally important was Azerbaijan’s steadfastness in the face of immense pressure. In the months preceding September, a flurry of diplomatic manoeuvres sought to delay or dilute Azerbaijan’s capacity to enforce its own sovereignty. Campaigns of misinformation sought to paint Baku as an aggressor. Yet the government held its course. The Azerbaijani President articulated the national position with clarity: the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is non-negotiable, and no external pressure can alter this fact.

What followed the operation proved the wisdom of that stance. Within a single day, the separatist leadership capitulated. Illegal armed groups surrendered, their weapons handed over. The so-called regime that had claimed to speak for Garabagh Armenians dissolved itself, admitting the futility of continued resistance. Remarkably, civilian life in the region was swiftly stabilised. Azerbaijani authorities opened humanitarian corridors, delivered aid, and signalled a path for reintegration. Far from the chaos predicted by sceptics, order prevailed.

This was not only a victory of arms but of statecraft. President Ilham Aliyev had repeatedly emphasised that Azerbaijan’s objective was never ethnic conflict but the restoration of sovereignty. His insistence on protecting civilian lives and enabling reintegration underscored the legitimacy of Azerbaijan’s position. International observers, even those initially sceptical, could not deny that the outcome was swift, proportionate, and anchored in the fundamental principle of state sovereignty.

The broader implications of 19 September extend beyond Azerbaijan’s borders. It marked a turning point in the South Caucasus, signalling that the old patterns of frozen conflict, external manipulation, and double standards were no longer sustainable. By exercising both restraint and resolve, Azerbaijan demonstrated that sovereignty, when pursued with persistence and clarity, can prevail even against entrenched geopolitical inertia.

Domestically, the operation reinforced a profound sense of national unity. For millions of Azerbaijanis, the liberation of Garabagh was not merely a political goal but a deeply emotional aspiration, borne of decades of displacement and injustice. The anti-terror operation thus symbolised the closing of a painful chapter and the opening of a new one, where reconstruction, resettlement, and reconciliation can at last proceed unhindered. Already, the government’s extensive plans for rebuilding liberated areas, new cities, villages, infrastructure, and cultural heritage projects are taking shape, further proving that the return of sovereignty is not a hollow slogan but a lived reality.

Critics abroad may continue to question Azerbaijan’s decisiveness, but history will remember this moment differently. The events of 19 September 2023 will stand as the point at which Azerbaijan asserted its rightful place as a sovereign state in full control of its territory. President Ilham Aliyev’s diplomatic foresight and the Azerbaijani people’s resilience against external pressure ensured that this outcome was achieved with clarity of purpose and remarkable efficiency.

The lesson is clear: sovereignty, when defended with both strength and vision, cannot be indefinitely denied. The anti-terror operation in Garabagh was not merely the elimination of armed separatism; it was the affirmation of Azerbaijan’s dignity, legality, and future.