Turkey and Azerbaijan held military exercises in Lachin, a region of the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh that came under Azeri control following a brief war with Armenia last year. The manoeuvres were aimed at improving cooperation between the two countries militaries, the Azerbaijan Defence Ministry said, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Monday. Lachin, which was controlled by Armenians since the first Nagorno-Karabakh war in the early 1990’s, lies within the strategic Lachin corridor, a primary route connecting Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh. A Russia brokered ceasefire signed on Nov.10 that ended the 44-day war called for the corridor to remain open under the temporary supervision of Russian peacekeepers. Azerbaijan seized large parts of Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenia during the clashes that erupted on Sept. 27. Turkish military support, including the deployment of armed drones, proved crucial to Azerbaijan capturing the territory from Armenia-backed forces. Relations between close regional allies Turkey and Azerbaijan have since strengthened.
Ahval