The occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region must be returned to Azerbaijan unconditionally and immediately, Erdal Ceylanoglu, a retired Turkish General and former Commander of the Turkish Army, told APA’s Turkey correspondent.

“Turkey is Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan is Turkey. That’s how we approach the matter,” said the general. “Hence the 30th of August is a celebration of victory for Azerbaijan too. We’re all extremely concerned by part of the beloved motherland remaining, although temporarily, under occupation.”

Ceylanoglu said he has been to the Nagorno-Karabakh region for four times, noting that each time he found the Azerbaijani army stationed there stronger than before.

“I’ve seen our Azerbaijani brothers’ passion for liberating Nagorno-Karabakh from occupation. Part of the beloved motherland under occupation must be returned to our nation unconditionally and immediately,” he emphasized. “In case peaceful mechanisms fail to restore justice, the necessity will arise of opting for other mechanisms to do that. Having said ‘Once a flag arose, it will never lower again descend,’ Mammad Amin Rasulzade ignited the fire of eternal independence. And Heydar Aliyev clinched our brotherhood as he said ‘One national, two states.’ Is there anything better left to say?”

Army General Erdal Ceylanoglu was appointed commander of the Turkish Land Forces in 2010. Protesting the operations against the Balyoz (Sledgehammer) and Ergenekon (The name of an ancient Turkish Saga) coup-plots, Ceylanoglu and then-head of General Staff Gen. Işık Koşaner resigned from their posts in 2011.