By AZE.US
Azerbaijan marks 108 years since the liberation of Baku on Sept. 15, 1918, a decisive event that enabled the newly established Azerbaijan Democratic Republic to consolidate its authority in the country’s capital.
The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic had proclaimed its independence on May 28, 1918. Its government, however, initially operated from Ganja because Baku remained under the control of forces opposed to the new republic.
Assistance arrived from the Ottoman Empire following the signing of the Treaty of Batum in June 1918. The Caucasus Islamic Army, commanded by Nuru Pasha and composed of Ottoman and Azerbaijani units, advanced toward Baku after fighting several battles along the route.
The first major attempt to capture the city in August was unsuccessful. A renewed offensive began on Sept. 14, and by the following day the combined forces had entered Baku.
Two days later, the government of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic moved from Ganja to the capital. The transfer transformed the republic from a government operating away from its principal city into a functioning state centered in Baku.
The military campaign came at a high cost. Azerbaijani historical sources say more than 1,100 Ottoman soldiers were killed during the 1918 operations in Azerbaijan. Their graves and memorials remain important symbols of the relationship between Azerbaijan and Türkiye.
The geopolitical situation changed again only weeks after Baku’s liberation. The Ottoman Empire signed the Armistice of Mudros at the end of October and was required to withdraw its forces. British troops commanded by Gen. William Thomson entered Baku in November.
Despite those developments, Sept. 15 retained its place in Azerbaijan’s national memory. The date represents more than a military victory: It marks the moment when the first parliamentary republic in the Muslim East gained control of its political and economic center.
The events of 1918 also became a foundation of the modern Azerbaijani-Turkish partnership. References to shared sacrifice, military cooperation and the defense of Azerbaijani statehood remain central to official relations between Baku and Ankara.
Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended a major military parade in Baku in 2018 to commemorate the centenary of the city’s liberation.
For Azerbaijan, Sept. 15 therefore connects three themes that continue to shape the country’s identity: the restoration of national statehood, control over Baku and the strategic alliance with Türkiye.
More than a century later, the date remains one of the clearest historical expressions of the principle frequently used to describe Azerbaijani-Turkish relations – “one nation, two states.”
AZE.US