“This year, we celebrate the Armed Forces Day on June 26 in a different mood than in previous years. Last year, our Armed Forces liberated our lands, which had been under enemy occupation for 30 years, with great courage and successfully completed their mission. Thus, this victory of our Army made the Armed Forces Day even more glorious and honorable. As a key attribute of the state, the role and prestige of our Armed Forces in society has increased.
This opinion was expressed by the chairman of the Azerbaijan Trade Unions Confederation (ATUC), MP Sattar Mohbaliyev.
According to him, since its establishment – from June 26, 1918 to the present day, the Azerbaijani Army has carried out a defense mission: “It has never taken an aggressive step. The “Declaration of Independence” adopted on May 28, 1918 also stated that armed forces were created in order to protect against foreign interference and neutralize internal enemy forces. The Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, adopted in 1995, also reflects the establishment of the Armed Forces to ensure security and defense. Looking at its historical path, it is clear that the Azerbaijani Army fought against the occupation, the intervention of foreign forces and served to protect its sovereignty. The liberation of Baku and surrounding areas from the Armenian-Bolshevik occupation by the National Army together with the Caucasus Islamic Army in 1918, and the First and Second Karabakh Wars are clear examples of this.
“Today, the Azerbaijani Army is among the strongest in the world. Reaching this level has not been easy for our army, it has gone through difficult, difficult and complicated ways. It is worth mentioning the establishment of the Jamshid Nakhchivanski Military School in June 1971. At that time, the establishment of a military school was not so convenient. This initiative caused serious dissatisfaction, various remarks and obstacles in Moscow. However, despite all these pressures, the school was established thanks to the determination and perseverance of Mr. Heydar Aliyev, who always thought that Azerbaijan would come, and was not afraid of anyone or anything along the way. Thus, the prestige of the military profession began to grow, the number of professional servicemen increased, and a number of young graduates graduated from Baku’s higher military schools and became military servicemen in the higher military educational institutions of the USSR. Even after gaining independence, we realized the importance of establishing this school. The graduates of this school played an important role in the field of army building, “the confederation chairman said.
Mohbaliyev noted that the establishment, strengthening and development of the Armed Forces of independent Azerbaijan is also connected with the name of great leader Heydar Aliyev: “One of the first steps taken by Heydar Aliyev, who returned to power in 1993, was to establish the Azerbaijani Army. Until then, no successful steps have been taken to build an army. No measures were taken to prevent the ongoing military aggression of the Armenian state. As a result of the indifference of incompetent, unprofessional leaders, there were armed groups that served the limited political interests of individuals and were a toy in the hands of foreign forces, whose activities also led to the disintegration of the country. However, the great leader’s experience of statehood, leadership skills, trust and respect among the people helped to rebuild the army. Political formations operating under the name of local self-defense and volunteer battalions were abolished, new mobilizations were announced, military units were established, and a regular Army under a single command was established. The great leader went to the front line, met with the soldiers in the trenches, distributed gifts to them, and encouraged them to fight against the enemy. As a result, the successful Horadiz operation, a glorious page in the history of Azerbaijan, was held. Thus, the foundation of our victories was laid, the moral and psychological situation in our Army improved, and confidence in victory over the enemy increased. As I mentioned in my previous interviews, the Horadiz operation was a turning point in the Karabakh conflict.
The MP stressed the importance of the operations carried out under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev in Agdara, Fizuli, Jabrayil in April 2016 and Nakhchivan in 2018 among the successes of the Azerbaijani Army: “As a result of the operations, part of our occupied lands and strategically important heights were liberated. has been done. This was not only a demonstration of the strength of the Azerbaijani Army, but also a statement that we will never reconcile with the occupation. ”
“The biggest test for our Armed Forces was the Patriotic War, which began on September 27, 2020 and lasted only 44 days. The Azerbaijani Army showed great courage without fear and hesitation, fighting for every inch of our land in a difficult climate and difficult terrain.