Blog > Nagorno-Karabakh 2020, another war

The 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War began on September 27 and formally ended on November 10 with a Russian-brokered agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Three-quarters of the territory were ceded to Azerbaijan, while the remainder was left under Armenian control (accessible to both Armenians and Azeris). Following the signing of this agreement by Prime Minister Pashinyan, mass protests erupted in Yerevan, demanding his resignation on charges of treason. Meanwhile, in southern Armenia, discussions have surfaced about a potential road linking Nakhchivan with Nagorno-Karabakh (not yet under construction), aimed at facilitating trade between Turkey and the wider Turkic world.

Nagorno-Karabakh is a disputed region between Armenia and Azerbaijan, at the heart of a protracted conflict that has plagued both nations since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The first major war was won by Armenia and resulted in the creation of the Republic of Artsakh, though it was never internationally recognized. The 2020 conflict, however, was a “blitzkrieg” that ended in Azerbaijan’s victory, strongly backed by Erdoğan’s Turkey.

On November 14, Armenian civilians set fire to their homes to prevent them from falling intact into Azeri hands. The following day, Sunday, November 15, Azerbaijani forces fully took control of the territory.

A long queue of cars leaves the Nagorno-Karabakh crossing the mountains of the Lachin corridor at the end of the war.