State Sovereignty Day (Azerbaijan)
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| State Sovereignty Day | |
|---|---|
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| Official name | Azerbaijani: Dövlət Suverenliyi Günü |
| Date | 20 September |
| Next time | 20 September 2025 |
State Sovereignty Day (Azerbaijani: Dövlət Suverenliyi Günü) is a day commemorated in honor of the restoration of the sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan following the Anti-Terror Operation. It is celebrated according to the decree "On establishing the Day of State Sovereignty in the Republic of Azerbaijan" signed by President Ilham Aliyev on September 19, 2024.
Historical Context
[edit]During the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, the Republic of Armenia violated the principles of the United Nations Charter by pursuing a policy of aggression against the Republic of Azerbaijan, and through military force, occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory.[1] In Armenia and the occupied Azerbaijani territories, ethnic cleansing was carried out against Azerbaijanis, resulting in crimes against humanity and war crimes, with towns and villages destroyed, and multiple massacres, including the Khojaly massacre, were committed.
Between September and November 2020, during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces fully liberated seven districts — Jabrayil, Fuzuli, Zangilan, Gubadli, Aghdam, and Lachin, as well as the city of Shusha. Large parts of Khojavend and Kalbajar districts, along with portions of Khojaly and Terter districts, were also freed from occupation.[2] The military operations concluded with a tripartite statement signed by the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia on November 10, 2020. With this, Azerbaijan succeeded in fulfilling the resolutions of the UN Security Council.[3][4]
In the tripartite statement, Armenia committed to completely withdrawing its forces from Azerbaijani territory. However, after 2020, Armenia illegally transported weapons and munitions, including landmines, into the areas under the control of Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh. It established over 480 kilometers of new mined areas along the contact line, set up more than 500 military positions and fortified long-term firing points, and created more than 350 artillery positions and surveillance systems. Armenia also concentrated forces capable of conducting offensive operations in the area.[5]
On September 18, 2023, unlawful Armenian armed groups in territories under the temporary control of the Russian Peacekeeping Contingent applied radio interference against the GPS navigation systems of passenger aircraft flying through Azerbaijani airspace.[6] As a result, from 20:28 to 20:34, the GPS navigation systems of an Azerbaijan Airlines E-190 passenger plane flying on the Tbilisi-Baku route experienced disruptions due to the interference.[7]
On September 19, 2023, a vehicle exploded on an anti-tank landmine planted in the Khojavand district by a sabotage group of the Armenian armed forces located in the territories of temporary deployment of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Azerbaijan. As a result of this provocation, 2 civilians were killed.[8][9][10]
Later that day, a police vehicle heading toward the location of the terror attack, which had resulted in the deaths of workers from the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads, also struck a landmine, leading to the death of four police officers from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, with five others sustaining injuries.[11] It was later revealed that the mine was placed by an illegal sabotage group of Armenian armed forces operating in the areas temporarily controlled by peacekeepers.[12]
On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan launched an anti-terror operation aimed at countering large-scale provocations in the Karabakh Economic Region, disarming the remnants of Armenian armed forces, and restoring the constitutional order of the Republic of Azerbaijan in those areas. The operation lasted only 23 hours and concluded on September 20. As a result, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces fully restored the sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces and illegal armed groups in the Karabakh region laid down their weapons and withdrew from combat positions and military posts.[13]
Establishment
[edit]State Sovereignty Day is observed based on the decree signed by President Ilham Aliyev on September 19, 2024, titled "On the Establishment of State Sovereignty Day in the Republic of Azerbaijan." The decree states:[14]
- Thus, September 20 will be observed annually as the State Sovereignty Day in the Republic of Azerbaijan.
- The Cabinet of Ministers is instructed to address issues arising from this order
References
[edit]- ^ Prezident Kitabxanası (Azərbaycan) (2022-08-04). "Azərbaycan Prezidentinin İşlər İdarəsinin Prezident Kitabxanası // Xronoligiya – Ermənistan-Azərbaycan münaqişəsi" (PDF). www.files.preslib.az (in Azerbaijani). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-08-30. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
- ^ Prezident Kitabxanası (Azərbaycan) (2022-08-04). "Azərbaycan Prezidentinin İşlər İdarəsinin Prezident Kitabxanası // Xronoligiya – Ermənistan-Azərbaycan münaqişəsi" (PDF). www.files.preslib.az (in Azerbaijani). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-08-30. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
- ^ President.az (2022-08-04). "İlham Əliyev xalqa müraciət edib". www.president.az (in Azerbaijani). Archived from the original on 2023-08-30. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
- ^ "Azərbaycanda Dövlət Suverenliyi Günü təsis edildi — Sərəncam". Qafqazinfo (in Azerbaijani). 2024-09-19. Archived from the original on 2024-09-19. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
- ^ "Ağdərədə ermənilərə məxsus dayaq məntəqəsi aşkarlanıb, tank götürülüb". Report İnformasiya Agentliyi (in Azerbaijani). 2024-03-26. Archived from the original on 2024-07-05. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
- ^ Azərbaycan Dövlət İnformasiya Agentliyi (2023-09-20). "Müdafiə Nazirliy: Qanunsuz erməni silahlıları sərnişin təyyarəsinə qarşı növbəti dəfə radiomaneələr tətbiq edib VİDEO". www.azertag.az (in Azerbaijani). Archived from the original on 2023-09-20. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ Müdafiə Nazirliyi (Azərbaycan) (2023-09-20). "Müdafiə Nazirliyinin məlumatı". www.mod.gov.az (in Azerbaijani). Archived from the original on 2023-09-19. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
- ^ Azərbaycan Dövlət İnformasiya Agentliyi (2023-09-20). "Xocavənddə avtomobil minaya düşüb, sürücü və sərnişin ölüb". www.azertag.az (in Azerbaijani). Archived from the original on 2023-09-20. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ Azərbaycan Dövlət İnformasiya Agentliyi (2023-09-20). "Xocavənddə baş verən partlayışla bağlı cinayət işi başlanılıb". www.azertag.az (in Azerbaijani). Archived from the original on 2023-09-20. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ Azərbaycan Dövlət İnformasiya Agentliyi (2023-09-20). "AAYDA Xocavəndə baş verən partlayışla bağlı məlumat yayıb". www.azertag.az (in Azerbaijani). Archived from the original on 2023-09-19. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
- ^ Azərbaycan Dövlət İnformasiya Agentliyi (2023-09-20). "Daxili İşlər Nazirliyinin polislərinə qarşı törədilmiş terror hadisəsi ilə bağlı cinayət işi açılıb". www.azertag.az (in Azerbaijani). Archived from the original on 2023-09-20. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ Azərbaycan Dövlət İnformasiya Agentliyi (2023-09-20). "Xocavənddə baş verən terror hadisəsi zamanı həyatını itirən DİN polislərinin sayı 4-ə çatıb". www.azertag.az (in Azerbaijani). Archived from the original on 2023-09-20. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ Azərbaycan Dövlət İnformasiya Agentliyi (2023-09-20). "Məlumat vərəqələri antiterror tədbirlərinin aparıldığı ərazidə paylanılır". www.azertag.az (in Azerbaijani). Archived from the original on 2023-09-23. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
- ^ "Azərbaycan Respublikasında Dövlət Suverenliyi Gününün təsis edilməsi haqqında Azərbaycan Respublikası Prezidentinin Sərəncamı". president.az. 2024-09-19. Archived from the original on 2024-09-19. Retrieved 2024-09-19.