The citizens continue to write to the President of Azerbaijan, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev.

We present some of them:

From Aida Behbudova, Oghuz, Azerbaijan

‘Dear Mr. President,

Our people are proud of You and watch each one of Your speeches admiringly. You are not only the President or the Commander-in-Chief but also the leader of our nation’s independence. With Your words and deeds as one, You have earned confidence, trust, and endless love in these difficult times for our nation.

You have converted Azerbaijan into a country with a strong economy and solid army to win the victory for the freedom of Karabakh. You warned Armenia from high platforms and gave them time to withdraw their troops from the Azerbaijani lands. The hated enemy, however, did not understand Your goodness.

You have thoroughly prepared our country to defeat the enemy from the first attack and proudly declared ‘Karabakh is Azerbaijan!’ Our people are absolutely certain that the triumph march of our glorious army will carry it to Shusha and Khankendi as they raise our flag there.

May You live a long life, Mr. President. You are writing the magnificent history of our people, state, and army.’

From Namized Gasimov, Shamakhi, Azerbaijan

‘Dear Mr. President,

The counterattacks launched under Your leadership in retaliation to the Armenian provocation of 27 September are absolutely admiring.

Our country has been facing Armenian provocation since 1989. We are elated that we are teaching the hated enemy the lesson they deserve. God bless You. Equipping our army with modern weapons has paved the path to victory.

May God protect the Azerbaijani Army. They are our source of pride.

Mr. President, we are proud of You. Your role is indispensable in liberating the Azerbaijani lands from the enemy.

The Azerbaijanis worldwide are proud of You.’

From Zaur Aliyev, Zardab, Azerbaijan

‘Dear Mr. President,

I feel proud of being Your soldier and a citizen of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Your domestic and foreign policy has led to outstanding development in all fields, including the Army. The achievements of our army, continuing to destroy the enemy and recovering our lands, are the fruits of Your success primarily. Your speeches, which have become historic and a thesis for each one of us, have further boosted morale among our people and encouraged more confidence in our army and our state.

Mr. President, may God protect You and our army. Long live Azerbaijan! Karabakh is Azerbaijan!’

From Ayshan Aliyeva, Tovuz, Azerbaijan

‘Dear Supreme Commander-in-Chief,

The recent war tides have made us all extremely proud and happy. You and the Azerbaijani Army at Your command have shown the enemy and the entire world that we are ready to fight to the very end for our ancient land, Karabakh. As we write this letter, we would like to send our deepest respect and support for You and our ever-readiness to be at Your command.

Our hearts beat with longing for the Motherland.’

From Sanan Bayramov, Sumgait, Azerbaijan

‘Dear President, Mr. Supreme Commander-in-Chief,

We would like to express our deepest gratitude for bestowing upon us the joy of victory and success in the war for the liberation of our occupied lands under Your command and with God’s help. We sincerely congratulate You on this victory, which is an excellent illustration of Your wise policy and foresight. We trust You as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief in our battle for justice. The exhilaration of victory has brought us tears of joy. I continue hearing the glorious news of triumph even as I write this letter. I impatiently await Your order as a son of this Land to sacrifice my life and blood for freedom. May God always bless and protect You. We stand by You. Our Motherland is one – Azerbaijan. Our motto is one – Karabakh is Azerbaijan!’

From Jeyhun Rahimov, Gazakh, Azerbaijan

‘Dear Mr. President,

The wise and decisive orders You have been giving out these difficult and glorious days fill our hearts with joy.

Like every Azerbaijani, it is my sacred duty to protect my lands from Armenian invaders. Despite being disabled from the Karabakh War, I am ever ready to join the battles at Your call.’

From Anar Hasanov, Sheki, Azerbaijan

‘Mr. President,

Our army has recovered many of our occupied lands, which is the result of Your courageous policy. We support You every step of the way. We impatiently await the good news of all our occupied lands being liberated from occupation under Your leadership.

Dear President, we thank You for bestowing these beautiful historical days upon us. May God protect You and our glorious army.’

From Gizgayit Mammadova, Jabrayil, Azerbaijan

‘Dear President, Mr. Supreme Commander-in-Chief,

We express our deepest gratitude for liberating our native Jabrayil we have longed for 27 long years and for bestowing this joy upon us. We, the people of Jabrayil, support Your policy. We are proud of You. Long live the independent Republic of Azerbaijan! Karabakh is Azerbaijan! Victory is ours!’

From Shovgi Jafarov, Baku, Azerbaijan

‘Dear Mr. President,

We wish You good health from the God Almighty and success as you forge the glorious history of our homeland both before the enemy and on the international arena. We are confident that only Your guidance can lead us to the recovery of our ancestral lands, the trouble we have been living with for 30 years. Our national leader Heydar Aliyev had told the people of Azerbaijan many years ago: ‘I believe that Ilham Aliyev, with your help and support, will be able to finish the fateful issues, plans, and projects I could not complete. I trust him as much as I trust myself and have high hopes for his future.’ I would like to stress out that both I and my family have been supporters and defenders of Your policy and we will continue so. We are on the path of justice, as You have told us many times. Nagorno-Karabakh and the adjacent regions are the ancestral lands of Azerbaijan. Long live the people of Azerbaijan! Long live the leader of our people, Ilham Aliyev! Karabakh is ours, Karabakh is Azerbaijan!’

From Adalat Garayev, Yardimli, Azerbaijan

‘Mr. Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Honourable President,

My son Amal Garayev who fell a martyr in Murov was buried on 4 October 2020 in the village of Arus, where he was born. The people of Yardimli had never before seen such a procession. I was moved by how much a martyr was held in high esteem and this multiplied my hatred for the Armenian fascists even more.

I say in all sincerity that I want to join the battles against the hated enemy to continue the unfinished life of my martyred son and fulfill his longstanding dream of pinning the Azerbaijani flag in Shusha. I am imploring with You to issue out the order for me to join the front.’

From Rahman Mammadov, Jabrayil, Azerbaijan

‘Dear Mr. President,

I express our deepest gratitude to You on behalf of all people of our village for liberating Jabrayil and the surrounding villages, as well as Guyjag village from the enemy. We wish You more achievements and an abundance of success.

The people of Jabrayil and the entire Azerbaijani nation are rejoicing. Our joy knows no limits. There are no words to describe the emotions we are experiencing. We, too, have a village to go now.

Our tears of joy have not dried for these past three days. We have always believed that these lands would be recovered again. We are elated even more that they have been recovered from the enemy claws under Your command.

All people of Jabrayil support Your domestic and foreign policy. We always stand by You, our dearest President.’

From Rauf Gulmaliyev, Aghjabadi, Azerbaijan

‘Dear Supreme Commander-in-Chief,

We are proud of You. We are confident that our tricolour flag will undulate in all corners of our dearest Karabakh. You have cemented this confidence in the entire nation with your steadfast position. Our prayers rest with You.

May God protect our Army and our Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

Karabakh is Azerbaijan!’

From Hazrat Gojayev, Zagatala, Azerbaijan

‘Dear Mr. President,

We have liberated a number of our settlements from the enemy by virtue of the counterattack launched by our army under Your leadership in retaliation to yet another provocation by Armenian vandals on 27 September. Seeing the Azerbaijani flag pinned in those lands has made us all extremely proud.

We are a proud, just, and happy nation. Our happiness is having a head of state and Supreme Commander-in-Chief like You. We, the people of Zagatala, just like the entire nation, are ready for Your call so that everyone who can hold a weapon, from small to old, can go to the front and mobilize to experience the joy of victory in the Patriotic War.

We believe that our glorious tricolour flag of Azerbaijan will soon undulate in Shusha, Lachin, Kalbajar and other lands still under occupation. We heartily congratulate You on the victories You have won. We will soon be reunited with our ancestral lands.

Karabakh is Azerbaijan!

Long live the Azerbaijani Army!

Long live our Supreme Commander-in-Chief!

From Gazanfar Tahirov, Jabrayil, Azerbaijan

‘Mr. Ilham Aliyev, dear Supreme Commander-in-Chief,

We, the people of Jabrayil, are living in the true joy of Victory. Even though I, personally, am a disabled person of the Karabakh War, I am ready to arm as a son of Azerbaijan, because it is the blood on the flag that makes it a true symbol. We are fighting for justice.

Mr. Supreme Commander-in-Chief, our soldiers will avenge all our martyrs under Your leadership. We will soon pin the Victory Flag in Shusha, Jidir Plain, and Khankendi. We are looking forward to that day. I say as a brother of a martyr and a father of a soldier, who is now serving in the trenches: ‘May God protect our soldiers and You.’

From Yelena Safaraliyeva, Gusar, Azerbaijan

Our dearest President!

We, the people of Gusar, are overjoyed with our victories, won on the frontline.

As a sister of a soldier, I believe that our sturdy Army will win. We believe in You and are proud of You!

Karabakh is the eternal homeland for us, the Azerbaijanis.

We closely follow Your interviews on various TV channels every day. We fully support the message of ‘Karabakh is Azerbaijan’ You wish to convey to the international community.

We look forward to, with high morale, the day your lands are completely liberated from occupation under Your command and determination.

God bless You and the valiant sons of our country!’

From Tunzala Kubarova, Gusar, Azerbaijan

‘Dear President,

As a sister of an officer, a military family, and a mother, we fully support the order You gave as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief to liberate our lands from occupation. We have been reuniting with our native lands thanks to your wise and successful policy.

You are making history with Your decisive steps and courageous stand, and we are confident that we will overcome all difficulties under Your leadership. We stand by You and our glorious Army.

May God protect you, the Azerbaijani Army, and the people of Azerbaijan!

Karabakh is Azerbaijan!’

From Sardar Verdiyev, Ganja, Azerbaijan

‘Dear Mr. President, Supreme Commander-in-Chief,

We, the people from Kalbajar forcibly displaced from our ancestral lands, think ourselves lucky that the IDPs have been constantly cared for.

Your intelligent and tireless diplomatic efforts for the resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have always inspired us. You have worked hard to find a fair and peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through negotiations. Armenian leadership forced the Azerbaijani Army to take matters into its own hands, as they kept on violating the peace talks and maintaining our lands under occupation. We now have a strong and brave army capable of taking a stance thanks to You.

The day the entire Azerbaijani nation longed for was the moment our lands were liberated from the hated Armenian invaders, and it has finally arrived. We will soon personally witness the historic day when all the occupied lands are finally recovered, and the internally displaced persons return to their ancestral lands under Your wise leadership. We believe it with all our hearts. Therefore, all people of Kalbajar are grateful to You and assure You that we always stand by You.

We wish You good health, long life, and more success on this sacred path for a happy future for our Azerbaijan.

God bless You!’

From Vedat Oghan, Baku, Azerbaijan

‘Dear Mr. President,

I express my gratitude on behalf of all Turkic people for bestowing this joy upon us.

We all come from different lands, but we are all from Karabakh! Karabakh is Azerbaijan!

God bless You. How happy for us to have You. May God give You a long and healthy You.’

From Humbat Mammadov, Jabrayil, Azerbaijan

‘Mr. Ilham Aliyev, dear Supreme Commander-in-Chief!

We, the people of Jabrayil, are elated with every inch of our lands being recovered from the enemy. We are all ready to arm for our Motherland regardless of age. Either we get to Karabakh, or we die, as there is no other way. Our fight is the struggle for justice.

Dear Mr. Supreme Commander-in-Chief, we await Your orders and news of Victory. We are confident that we will soon pin the Victory Flag in Shusha and Jidir Plain. May God protect our soldiers and You.’

From Rushan Gasimov, Sumgait, Azerbaijan

‘Dear Mr. President,

We express our deepest gratitude to You for Your exceptional services in the comprehensive development of the Republic of Azerbaijan and boosting the sentiments of patriotism among the citizens, the Army and boosting the morale among our soldiers and officers at the frontline through your speeches.

We are proud that we have a wise and irreplaceable President with a great character, who is so much loved by his people. Although I am 65 years old, I am ready to fight the enemy for the liberation of our lands. I have expressed my position in all my letters to You.

I wish to take part in raising the Azerbaijani flag in Shusha. God bless You.’

From Yadulla Aghazade, Lankaran, Azerbaijan

‘Dear Mr. President,

We would like to declare how proud we are of You, who has been the hero of these historic days and has been tirelessly carrying out the liberation mission founded by the National Leader Heydar Aliyev. As always, our entire family stands by You in this just battle against Armenian fascism.

The strength of our people and our army is the clear illustration of love for the Motherland, and their endless trust and faith for their leader, the President, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.’

From Jumagulu Sabirov, Aghsu, Azerbaijan

‘Dear Mr. President,

We are confident that You, as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, will achieve complete victory in the Karabakh war along with our servicemen and people. Our people and my family stand by You. We are proud of You and our army. God willing, we will liberate our lands and prove the worth of the great Azerbaijan to Armenians and the entire world.

Your unacceptance of incomplete peace talks and determination against the deceptive statements of foreign countries are the clear illustration that You will take this fight to the very end.

We are stronger together. May God bless You, Your family, and our people. We wish You and Your family good health, happiness, and a victory in Karabakh.’

From Sakhavat Abdulkhaligov, Gabala, Azerbaijan

‘Dearest Mr. President,

I am a simple son of Azerbaijan. I have grown up drinking the water, breathing the air, and eating the bread of this land. Every inch of my native land is dear to my heart, just like our national leader Heydar Aliyev once said: ‘I am proud to be an Azerbaijani.’

I have always felt proud with our tricolour flag. Believe me when I say that I am moved to tears as a child despite being 38 when I hear the National Anthem of Azerbaijan sung and the Azerbaijani flag raised at sports competitions. I have always dreamt of our holy flag undulating and our National Anthem sung in our native Karabakh.

We are witnessing our dreams transform into reality. Our Glorious Army has been liberating our lands inch by inch from occupation thanks to Your wise and visionary policy. As a child and as a son, I wish to stand by You and support my country, Motherland, and people.

Mr. Supreme Commander-in-Chief, You are the worthy follower of genius Heydar Aliyev and the true Leader of Azerbaijan. The people of Azerbaijan have a great love for You, are proud of You and always stand by You.

Victory is ours!

Only forward with Ilham!’

From Muslum Mammadov, Gazakh, Azerbaijan

‘Dear President, Mr. Supreme Commander-in-Chief,

I wish more success and victories to our Army, as they carry on counter-offensive operations with Your order.

I am confident that our state will achieve all its goals thanks to Your visionary and wise policy.

There is boosted morale among the people in Gazakh, the district I live in. Everyone expresses solidarity with our army and readiness to support it in every possible way. The youth do not hesitate to appeal to the mobilization office and are sent out to military units.

I am a veteran of the first Karabakh war. I am now 59 years old. I am ready to join my comrades in arm at the trenches if You give out the order.

Dear Supreme Commander-in-Chief, you have put forward formidable efforts for the peaceful resolution of the Karabakh conflict with Your fair and humane policy. This, however, was fruitless due to the notorious position of the occupant country. We must now continue this struggle to completely liberate our lands.

Mr. President, our people stand by You, united around You. We are proud of You. Truth and justice are on our side. May God protect our people.’

From Ilgar Mustafayev, Sheki, Azerbaijan

‘Dear Mr. President,

I would firstly like to congratulate You, the people of Azerbaijan and all officers and soldiers who have fought for the integrity of our Motherland with the successes we have achieved at the front under Your leadership. I express my deepest gratitude to every one of You, and wish from God that the souls of our Martyrs rest in peace. I watch all Your speeches with great pride for having such a leader. The decisive stance You are demonstrating to the entire world has boosted the morale among people even more. The statements You made in Your last speech illustrated clearly that You are not merely the head of state, but a father and a head of the family, who protects the honour and pride of his people. God bless You, the Azerbaijani people, and the Turkish nation. The success You have achieved through patience and excellent diplomacy has elated us all.’

From Rahib Karimov, Baku, Azerbaijan

‘Dearest Mr. President,

The ideas of national statehood and patriotism developed by our national leader Heydar Aliyev now make up the foundation of our development. These ideas that are his heritage have grown stronger thanks to You and become the crucial factor that unites our people. The battles on the Azerbaijan-Armenia border have demonstrated the strength of our army anew. The strength of this army is the fruit of Your efforts, which is why tens of thousands of people answered the summons of our patriotic leader in such a short period of time.

Mr. Supreme Commander-in-Chief, I thank You for this brave decision we have been waiting for years. Our people had been longing for the days when our ancestral homeland would be recovered from the hated enemy. May the God Almighty help You in Your work for the prosperity of our people and state and the liberation of Karabakh. Our family has always been proud to have a president like You. I congratulate You and all our people on this occasion. As you wisely mentioned, ‘Karabakh is Azerbaijan!’

From Kamala Nahmadova, Ganja, Azerbaijan

‘Dear President, Mr. Supreme Commander-in-Chief,

Every one of us has been the witness of Your determined battle for the integrity of our lands. I would like to assure You that the people of Ganja stand by You until the very end in Your battle of justice. We are ready to fulfill any task that falls on us. We are confident that You will go down in history in golden letters as the great commander who recovered our enslaved historical land, Karabakh, and returned it to the people of Azerbaijan. We, the people of Ganja, are proud of You and our glorious army. May God protect You.’

From Orkhan Azimov, Jalilabad, Azerbaijan

‘Dear President, Mr. Supreme Commander-in-Chief,

I am proud of You as an educator. We cannot thank You enough for bestowing these days upon us. The songs of victory of the glorious Azerbaijani Army are now finally playing in the lands that had been in enemy claws for almost 30 years. The day of victory is nearing when we will expel the last Armenian invader from our sacred lands. For this, we are grateful to You and our National army commanded by You. The people of Azerbaijan stand by You and always support all decisions You will make for the future well-being of our country.

Long live our strong state and its strong Leader!’

From Ramil Gardashov, Balakan, Azerbaijan

‘Dear Mr. President,

I support You wholeheartedly as a young man and as a citizen.

I am overjoyed with the happy news that is the result of all the right decisions You have made. We have full faith and trust in You. The successes we have scored today in ensuring the territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan are the product of Your wise strategy and political decisions. I would like You to know that we, the youth of Azerbaijan, always support You and stand by You. I am confident that the blood our martyrs have shed will be avenged.

Karabakh is ours, Karabakh is Azerbaijan!’

From Shafag Mehdiyev, Goygol, Azerbaijan

‘Dear Mr. President,

On behalf of the youth of Goygol, I would like to express my gratitude for Your pivotal decision to launch counter-offensive operations to recover our lands from occupation.

As a young man, I am proud of the happenings on the frontline, because our Army commander by You has been equipped with modern weapons and determined to liberate Nagorno-Karabakh from occupation.

Karabakh is ours, Karabakh is Azerbaijan!’

From Taleh Melikov, Goychay, Azerbaijan

‘Dear Mr. President,

Your leadership is one of the crucial defences that safeguard our country from various threats and enable us to be on the continuous path of success. Azerbaijani lands that have been under occupation for many years are finally being recovered thanks to You and our army. As the youth of this country, we support Your policy to the very end and wish You success. We will continue going in life chanting ‘We are stronger together!’ and ‘Karabakh is Azerbaijan!’

Nurjahan Amanzade, Bilasuvar, Azerbaijan

‘Mr. Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev,

Every young person in Azerbaijan feels the appreciation and support You have always given us. I do not know any other head of state who supports the youth as much as You do. We rejoice at the victories of our army. Azerbaijan will be reunited with Karabakh thanks to You. We trust You and wish You a long life and health from God. May God always keep You by the Azerbaijani army and people. As a student, I have always seen the blessings You have bestowed upon our country, and I thank You for this. May God bless You!

Karabakh is Azerbaijan!’

From Shirin Shuminov, Oghuz, Azerbaijan

‘Dear Mr. President,

We wish You more success in the victory march You have launched to ensure the territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan as per international laws. God bless You. We truly believe that the glorious Azerbaijani Army will cleanse Karabakh from the Armenian invaders, ensure the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, win a glorious victory, and restore international law. There are no wars without losses. May our martyrs rest in peace. We wish recovery to our veterans. We pray for a total victory by the valiant Azerbaijani Army with as few losses as possible under Your wise leadership.’

From Assena Heydarli, Baku, Azerbaijan

‘Our dearest Mr. President,

We, students, stand by You in this patriotic war for justice.

We truly believe that You will bestow upon us, the youth of Azerbaijan, a sunny, prosperous life in a country with reinstated territorial integrity and fully restored borders, and not a grey future suffocating in gunpowder smoke. We bow before the soul of our National Leader for leaving a success like You, who makes the entire nation proud.’

From Shakar Ahmadova, Tartar, Azerbaijan

‘Dear Mr. President,

You spoke our deepest wishes as You delivered the message to the international community and answered Pashinyan. God bless You for that, my son!

‘A friend in need is a friend indeed.’ We now know who our friends and enemies are. The entire nation stands by You. We have patiently and calmly waited for the peaceful resolution of the conflict for almost thirty years. Patience also has an expiration date. How much longer must we be patient? You have demonstrated great perseverance. Victory comes with unity. We now have built a great unity of state, army, and people in Azerbaijan. God willing, Victory will be ours. You have proved to be a strong politician and a great humanist. We are finally loudly and clearly voicing our message with an exclamation point! This is exactly how it must be!

God bless the Army we wholeheartedly trust and its Supreme Commander-in-Chief. Amen!’

Another letter arrived from Türkiye.

Gokhan Topal writes from Nevshehir:

‘Dear Mr. President,

I would like to convey my greetings and respect to You. I would like to continue by declaring that as a Turk, my state, and people, stand by You, our precious brothers, in Your rightful battle. We are ready to support You in every way and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our brothers at the frontline.

I pray for everyone in the battles and ask for assistance from God for them.

May God bless and help us.’