Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev have jointly inaugurated Lachin International Airport.
“First and foremost, Lachin's acquisition of such a magnificent airport as the third airport in the region has elevated Azerbaijan to a much stronger position,” Erdogan said after the inauguration ceremony on Wednesday.
“After Fuzuli, Lachin and the ceremonies to be held here will hopefully enable Azerbaijan to look toward a broader horizon,” he added.
“With the liberation of Azerbaijani lands that were under occupation for 30 years, we now hope for the region to become a centre of stability, prosperity, and development,” Erdogan said.
He said the developments in the region show the importance of solidarity between Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Pakistan.
Erdogan arrived in Lachin on Wednesday to participate in Azerbaijan’s Independence Day celebrations and attend the opening of the Lachin International Airport.
During his visit, Erdogan also took part in the Türkiye-Azerbaijan-Pakistan Trilateral Summit, alongside Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Erdogan emphasised that Türkiye desires a permanent peace between Pakistan and India, and is ready to contribute to this goal in every possible way.
“We see development of solidarity, joint action capacity between Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Pakistan in the face of difficulties as a necessity, not choice,” added the Turkish president.
Third airport in liberated territories
The newly-inaugurated Lachin International Airport has a 3,000-metre-long, 60-metre-wide runway and a terminal that can handle 200 passengers per hour. It is located 30 kilometres from Lachin city center, 70 kilometres from Shusha, and 60 kilometres from Kalbajar.
It is the third airport built by Azerbaijan in territories liberated during a 44-day war in Karabakh in the fall of 2020.
With the decree signed by Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov on May 26, Lachin Airport was granted the status of an international airport.
Earlier, the Fuzuli International Airport, the first airport built in the regions liberated by Azerbaijan, was opened on October 26, 2021 with the participation of Erdogan and Aliyev.
The two leaders also inaugurated the Zangilan International Airport on October 20, 2022.
At the historic summit, Türkiye reaffirmed its central role in the Turkic world while navigating complex geopolitical currents, experts say.
