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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in a speech at a December 10, 2020 military parade in Baku, Azerbaijan that he has confidence in the leadership of Azeri President Ilham Aliyev and that Turkey and Azerbaijan are "two states, one nation." He said that for Azerbaijan's territory to be saved from occupation in the Nagorno-Karabakh War does not mean that Azerbaijan's struggle is over, and he stated that it is Turkey's responsibility to hold accountable those who "trampled underfoot" the honor of humanity. Erdoğan added that he believes that soon, the one million Azeris who had fled from Azerbaijan will soon return to their homeland. Erdoğan then recited lines from a poem that many media outlets have attributed to Azeri poet Bahtiyar Vahapzade, but which appear instead be from an anonymous piece of Azeri folk poetry. This recitation referred to the Aras River, much of which runs along Iran's northern border, and prompted a stern reaction on Twitter from Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. The parade was aired by Anadolu Agency (Turkey).
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: "Allah willing, under the discerning leadership of my brother [Azeri President] Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan will continue to write legends.
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"In our relations with Azerbaijan, we in Turkey have taken as our guide the slogan of great leader [former Azeri President] Haydar Aliyev: 'Two states, one nation.'
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"For Azerbaijan's territory to be saved from occupation does not at all signify the end of the struggle. The battle that has so far been sustained politically and militarily will continue on very different fronts.
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"The laws of war have been severely violated. The honor of humanity has been trampled underfoot. The consciences of those who ignore these things are as blind as their eyes. It is our responsibility to hold [somebody] accountable for these things. For years, while far from their birthplaces and while burning with longing for the homeland, one million of our brothers and sisters who fled and migrated are now eager to get back to the land of their birth. Allah willing, we believe that this longing will end as soon as possible.
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"They separated the Aras [River] and filled it with sand. I would never separate from you, and they separated you by force."
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