Azerbaijan Reaffirms Backing for Syria’s Sovereignty Following Assad’s Fall

Amidst the recent events in Syria, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry has emphasized Baku’s close observation of the situation and ongoing discussions with its key ally, Türkiye.

In a statement on Tuesday, the ministry stated that in the aftermath of the Bashar al-Assad regime’s collapse, it is crucial to restore peace and stability in Syria and bring an end to the civil conflict.

“The Republic of Azerbaijan once again expresses its support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Syria and hopes that the problems will be resolved following the will of the Syrian people as well as through domestic political dialogue,” reads the statement.

The ministry elaborated that, in collaboration with Türkiye and other like-minded partners, Azerbaijan is ready to assist in addressing the humanitarian challenges faced by the Syrian population.

Baku hopes to renew bilateral relations once stability is restored in Syria and develop cooperation based on mutual friendship and partnership.

In a recent phone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President Ilham Aliyev reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s commitment to post-Assad Syria’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

President Aliyev expressed hope for a new era of stability in Syria, supported by Türkiye, and reiterated Azerbaijan’s willingness to collaborate with its closest ally in addressing the humanitarian challenges faced by the Syrian people.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s 24-year rule was toppled last week after anti-government forces seized the capital, Damascus. Assad’s fall was confirmed by Moscow, where he fled with his family to seek refuge.

Azerbaijan and Syria established diplomatic relations as early as 1992, but it was not until May 2008 that Azerbaijan opened an embassy in Damascus.

Over the years, bilateral relations flourished in various spheres, including energy, economy, science, and culture. However, following the uprising in Syria in 2011 and the ensuing civil war, Baku has maintained a cautious agenda focused on calls for ending the conflict and promoting reconciliation.

As tensions rose in Syria, Armenia reportedly initiated the illegal settlement of Syrian Armenians in Azerbaijan’s occupied territories, including the Karabakh (Garabagh) region, in 2012. Baku reacted strongly, condemning the settlements as illegal and unacceptable.

As of 2017, about 20,000 Syrian refugees had settled in Armenia and Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region, including families of Syrian Armenians. The self-styled prime minister of the separatists in the Karabakh region, Ara Harutunyan, even pledged free accommodation, healthcare, and study opportunities for these illegal settlers.

In response, Baku cautioned that once the territories occupied by Armenia were reclaimed, individuals illegally relocated from Syria to the Karabakh region would not be permitted to remain, as their presence constituted a breach of national and international law.

Armenia and Azerbaijan had been in armed conflict for nearly 30 years over the Karabakh (Garabagh) region, an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Armenia launched a full-scale war against Azerbaijan, which ended in a ceasefire in 1994. The war led to Armenia occupying 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territories, resulting in over 30,000 Azerbaijanis killed and one million others expelled from those lands in a brutal ethnic cleansing campaign conducted by Armenia.

On September 27, 2020, the decades-old conflict took a violent turn after Armenian forces deployed in the occupied Azerbaijani lands shelled military positions and civilian settlements of Azerbaijan. During counter-offensive operations lasting 44 days, Azerbaijani forces liberated over 300 settlements, including cities, towns, and villages in the country's Karabakh and East Zangezur regions.

On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijani forces launched one-day anti-terror measures in the Karabakh region in response to escalating Armenian attacks, including fatal mine incidents. They disabled Armenian military infrastructure, seizing strategic positions by September 20. The Defense Ministry emphasized targeting only military objectives while safeguarding civilians.

On September 20, 2023, the illegal Armenian separatist regime requested the cessation of anti-terror activities through Russian peacekeepers. Later, on September 28, the separatist regime dissolved, prompting the voluntary relocation of majority of ethnic Armenians to neighboring Armenia.