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Erdogan asks Turkish Parliament to renew deployment to Azerbaijan

Turkey sent peacekeeping forces to Azerbaijan last year following the victory in the Nagorno-Karabakh war with Armenia.

TOFIK BABAYEV/AFP via Getty Images
A man stands on the balcony of a hotel with its facade decorated with flags of Azerbaijan and Turkey in the Old Town of Baku on Oct. 14, 2020. — TOFIK BABAYEV/AFP via Getty Images

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked parliament today to extend Turkey’s military presence in Azerbaijan.

Erdogan requested that the deployment be extended for another year so that Turkish forces can continue monitoring the cease-fire between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the disputed Nagoro-Karabakh region. The Turkish troops are working alongside Russian forces in the area, the official Anadolu Agency reported.

The 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war began last September between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the eponymous Caucasus region. It ended in an Azerbaijani victory in November after Russia brokered a cease-fire. Turkey heavily supported Azerbaijan, sending drones, military advisers and Syrian mercenaries.

After the cease-fire, the Turkish Parliament approved the deployment of peacekeeper troops to Azerbaijan. The Turkish forces are observing potential cease-fire violations with Russia.

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