AHistoryIndependent states
The Caucasus Islamic Army and the liberation of Baku (1918)
An army of Ottoman and Azerbaijani units that liberated Baku on 15 September 1918 — a symbol of Turkic brotherhood.
In spring 1918 Baku was under Bolshevik and Dashnak rule; in March thousands of Azerbaijanis had been killed in the city and the regions. The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic asked the Ottoman state for military aid.
The Caucasus Islamic Army was formed from Ottoman and Azerbaijani units under Nuri Pasha. After battles at Goychay and Kurdamir it approached Baku and liberated the city on 15 September 1918.
More than a thousand Ottoman soldiers fell in the fighting. The Turkish Martyrs' Memorial in Baku honours them, and 15 September is remembered as a historic day of Azerbaijani–Turkish brotherhood.
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Updated: October 1, 2026