Political analyst: April battles marked the beginning of our great victory

The April 2016 battles should be regarded as one of the key turning points in Azerbaijan’s recent history,  Matin Mammadli, Head of Department at the Center of Analysis of International Relations, said in a comment to The Daily Baku.

According to him, the April battles can be assessed from three main aspects, and first of all, this event should be considered the beginning of a great victory:
“After the ceasefire achieved in 1994, that is, over a period of 22 years, the April battles were the largest-scale military confrontation. During this conflict, which lasted about five days, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces clearly demonstrated their strength, professionalism, and military superiority.”

The political analyst noted that during those battles, the Azerbaijani army liberated some of the occupied territories and took control of strategically important heights:
“This produced very serious consequences not only militarily, but also psychologically and politically. For the first time, Azerbaijani society clearly saw that it was possible to liberate the occupied territories, and that both the political will and military power existed for this.”

Matin Mammadli emphasized that the April battles created a strong sense of morale and confidence in society:
“During these battles, a strong belief emerged among the Azerbaijani people that the country would be able to restore its territorial integrity. That belief was later confirmed during the 44-day Patriotic War in 2020.”

According to the expert, the April battles were also a serious message to the opposing side, but this message was not properly understood:
“Unfortunately, the Armenian leadership did not correctly assess the results of those battles. Neither was a constructive position demonstrated in the negotiation process, nor were the new realities taken into account. As a result, this led to another war.”

In conclusion, the political analyst noted that the April battles remain one of the honorable pages in Azerbaijan’s modern history:
“These battles were both a military success and a strategic turning point. Most importantly, the April battles marked the beginning of our great victory and formed the logical foundation for subsequent processes.”