As a result of the cruel struggles waged with the Armenians in the month of January in 1919, Nachicevan Turks captured the region extending towards the Big Valley.Pursuant to the establishment of the territorial integrity in the region, an English Governor Office was founded in Nachicevan. Although they had good relations in the beginning, English General Thomson was under the influence of the imploring and begging of the Armenian authorities (Armenia cannot live without Nachicevan and Sherur). Then, he gave Nachicevan as a gift to Armenia although Nachicevan has a majority of Turkish population. The protests of the people and Azerbaijan cut no ice. The Armenian sovereignty was established in Nachicevan under the supervision of the English soldiers. Pursuant to this formation, English army retreated from this region. The award of Nachicevan to Armenia and the oppression subjected to the Turkish people in the region set the Turkish and Azerbaijani authorities in motion. Knowing the importance of Nachicevan in respect of Turkey and Turkish World, Kazım Karabekir Pasha sent Captain Halil Bey who had been a commander in that zone to Şahtahtı in order to provide support for the struggle of the regional people towards salvation under the directive of Enver Pasha. Besides these supports, Azerbaijan was providing military and material aid and support for Nachicevan that was accepted by Azerbaijan like its own lands. In a short period, people of Nachicevan put an end to the Armenian domination thanks to the trifling supports that it gained and their passion for independence. The sovereignty was re-established in the region extending from the Big Valley towards Ordubad. Upon the approval of Kazım Karabekir Pasha, Halil Bey declared that Nachicevan was connected to Azerbaijan and Samed Bey appointed Cemilinski as the Nachicevan Governor of Azerbaijan.
After this period, the administrative and military organisations were put in order in the region particularly under the control of Halil Bey. The efforts of the Colonel Haskell, the Armenian Superintendent towards the establishment of an American Governorship as a buffer state were hindered by the regional people and particularly Halil Bey who had been deceived by English people before. Kazım Karabekir Pasha was providing support for Nachicevan in a secret manner in the beginning. Pursuant to the invasion of Istanbul, Halil Bey was officially put under the direction of the 11th Division. The telegrams and the letters communicated with Beyazıt the copies of which were burnt due to the confidentiality were sent explicitly without any confidential effort after this period.
Pursuant to this date, the leaders of the National Struggle set in motion in order to prepare the region as a base for the struggle against the Armenia and the relations with the Soviets. A detachment was sent to Nachicevan. The Red Army troops that had arrived to Azerbaijan were also invited to Nachicevan and the forces of both parties were combined together as the "Red Forces" in this region. Military operations were organised against the "Imperialist forces". The Turkish Forces in the region were pretending to act like Bolsheviks. The Turkish authorities were trying to make the Bolsheviks contented through the relations established in Nachicevan.
While the Turkish-Soviet relations that were centralised in Nachicevan were going on well, the leaders of the National Struggle tried to do their best to realise that the region would maintain its Turkish character and this region would be added within the frontiers of Turkey. Finally, in accordance with the Gümrü Agreement concluded in the night of 2-3 December 1920, nearly today's borders of Nachicevan were determined and it was stipulated that a local administration be established under the administration of Turkey providing the condition "for the time being". On the other hand, upon the demand of the Soviet Russia, Azerbaijan gave Nachicevan and Zengezur to the Armenia as a gift on the date of the 1st December 1920. This attracted great reactions of Turkey. As a result of the active works of Kazım Karabekir Pasha and the Commander Veysel Bey, the Turkish "Red Detachment Commander" in Nachicevan, the connection of Nachicevan under the domination of Armenia was hindered.
The Turkish authorities did not stop following this matter after this date. Nachicevan was the "Turkish Door" according to Mustafa Kemal Pasha and the "Door to the East" according to Kazım Karabekir Pasha. Nachicevan was one of the most significant articles of the Moscow negotiations. Mustafa Kemal Pasha had given special instructions to The Turkish Committee for negotiations. In the beginning, the Committee offered to the Russians that Nachicevan would be taken under the joint protection of Turkey or Azerbaijan. But when these proposals were rejected, it was resolved in the negotiations carried out on the date of 9th March that Nachicevan would have an autonomous structure and would be under the protection of Azerbaijan providing that it would not be forsaken to another state. The same issue was certified by Azerbaijan and Armenia with the Kars Agreement concluded on the date of 13th October 1921. Therefore, Armenia had declared that it abandoned Nachicevan and Azerbaijan had accepted and affirmed that it would not leave Nachicevan to another state or country.
There were some people that thought that the protection of Nachicevan under the supervision of Azerbaijan was not important in the period of USSR. But when the current situations are taken into considerations, it can be observed that the efforts of the leaders of the Turkish National Struggle, particularly the struggle of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk were a great success.
However, the reign of USSR included a period in which much more troubles and distress were experienced compared to the period of Tsardom in respect of the fates of both Azerbaijan and the Turks in Nachicevan. The Bolsheviks even made the people long for the period of Tsardom in respect of oppression and tortures. In this period, the region of Zengezur between Azerbaijan and Nachicevan that had become an Autonomous Republic connected to Azerbaijan was given to the Armenians and the country was divided into two sections. Thus, the way from the door defined as the "Turkish Door" by Ataturk towards the Turkish world of the Middle East was waylaid.
The End
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