Azernews.Az

By Rashid Shirinov

The first republic of the Turkic world was established in Azerbaijan, Yagub Mahmudov, Director of the Institute of History of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), said on September 18.

He made the remarks at the expanded meeting of the Scientific Council of the institute.

Mahmudov said that the National Army of Azerbaijan together with the Islamic Army of the Caucasus liberated Baku from the Armenian-Bolshevik occupation.

“The Azerbaijani people, including the people’s militia, prominent Azerbaijani military figures Ali-Agha Shikhlinski, Habib Bey Salimov and others actively participated in the military successes of the Islamic Army of the Caucasus led by Nuri Pasha,” he said.

The academician added that Azerbaijan is the homeland of Turkism, since the first republic of the Turkic world was established in Azerbaijan.

Turkish historian and professor of history Ilber Ortayli, who attended the event as a guest, noted in his speech that the majority of Turkish soldiers taken prisoner by tsarist Russia were released thanks to the Azerbaijani philanthropist Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev.

“The Islamic Army of the Caucasus was an army of volunteers. The Ottoman Empire in World War I won three major victories: in Canakkale, Kut Al Amara and Baku,” the Turkish historian added.

Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan Erkan Ozoral, in turn, noted that the two countries supported each other in the most difficult moments. He said that the solemn parade celebrating the 100th anniversary of the liberation of Baku from the Dashnak-Bolshevik occupation, held in the Azerbaijani capital on September 15, is the peak of Turkish-Azerbaijani relations.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz