On September 6–10, Azerbaijan and Turkey held joint special forces exercises in the Lachin region of Azerbaijan, marking the first time Turkish troops carried out military operations in the Azerbaijani territories liberated as a result of the 44-day Second Karabakh War (September 27–November 9, 2020) (Mod.gov.az, September 6, 11). This was only one of a series of joint military exercises between the two countries in September, some of which would also involve forces from Pakistan (Mod.gov.az, September 7, 10, 11). In a move to further deepen bilateral military cooperation, Ankara has upgraded the representation of the Turkish Armed Forces in the “Azerbaijan Operational Group” (an entity established in 1992 but hitherto represented at a lower level) by appointing four generals to its leadership (Yeni Shafak August 26).
Azerbaijan Increasingly Critical of Russia’s Peacekeeping Mission in Karabakh – Jamestown
