A solemn event dedicated to Azerbaijan Independence Day andArmed Forces Day has been held at the National congress Center atthe Presidential Complex of Turkiye in Beshtepe, Azernews reports.
Members of the Turkish government and parliament,representatives of the diplomatic corps, high-ranking officers,cadets of military schools, veterans of the Turkish Armed Forcesoperation to ensure peace in Cyprus, activists of the Azerbaijanidiaspora, scientists and cultural figures attended the event.
The Azerbaijani Ambassador to Turkiye Rashad Mammadov addressedthe participants of the event with a welcoming speech. He focusedon the significance of the legacy of the Azerbaijan DemocraticRepublic (ADR), founded 106 years ago and which became the firstdemocratic state in the Islamic world, and also noted the role ofthe creators of the ADR in the formation of statehood ofAzerbaijan.
In his speech, Rashad Mammadov hailed the historical merits ofNational Leader Heydar Aliyev in protecting and developing theAzerbaijani statehood and emphasized the undeniable contribution ofPresidents Ilham Aliyev and Recep Tayyip Erdogan to strengtheningfraternal ties and strategic ties between Azerbaijan andTurkiye.
Rashad Mammadov highly appreciated the achievements of modernAzerbaijan associated with the name of the worthy successor ofHeydar Aliyev's course, President Ilham Aliyev. According to him,the country's successes were manifested in all areas, including inthe field of building the Armed Forces.
"The valiant army of Azerbaijan under the command of SupremeCommander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev brought to life the behest of thegreat Heydar Aliyev and liberated the occupied lands. We arerightfully proud of our Armed Forces," the head of the diplomaticmission said.
Rashad Mammadov recalled that on the Days of the 44-dayPatriotic War, Turkiye and President Recep Tayyip Erdoganpersonally declared their strong support for Azerbaijan's fairstruggle against the Armenian occupiers.
"We are sincerely grateful to the friendly country and itsleadership. Let's not forget the solidarity of support! We are“onenation, two states.” Azerbaijan and Türkiye are together in sorrowand in joy," the ambassador said.
Chairman of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Numan Kurtulmusstressed the importance of further consolidating the efforts ofAnkara and Baku in the name of the interests of the entire Turkicworld.
According to him, the Turkic states are step by step turninginto a new global center of power. The speaker of the TurkishParliament welcomed the efforts of the Turkic countries tostrengthen bilateral and multilateral ties and noted that today,when major geopolitical changes are taking place in the world, theimportance of the unity and cohesion of the Turkic world isincreasing.
“In the current situation, the importance of the Turkic stateslocated in a strategically important region of the planet isincreasing. I believe that the transformation of the Turkic worldinto a new global center of power is inevitable. I am confidentthat the cohesion of our countries will make a significantcontribution to ensuring peace on the planet,” Kurtulmush said,pointing to the role of the Organization of Turkic States andTURKPA in promoting integration processes in the Turkic world named Turkey and Azerbaijan as one of the main drivingforces in these processes.
The speaker of the Turkish parliament welcomed the achievementsof modern Azerbaijan and emphasized the contribution of theleadership of the two fraternal countries to the liberation of thehistorical lands of Azerbaijan.
"In just 44 days, Azerbaijan solved the most difficult problemof the Caucasus region - liberated Karabakh from many years ofArmenian occupation," Kurtulmush said, noting that the Turkish sideis ready to participate in the restoration of the de-occupied landsof Azerbaijan.
The Speaker of Parliament called for further development ofrelations between the two countries in all areas, includingeducation, sports and culture.
"The peoples of Turkiye and Azerbaijan are part of a singleTurkic world. It is important to do everything possible to pass onstronger and more developed states to future generations,"Kurtulmus said.
Next, a video was shown dedicated to the achievements of theAzerbaijani state.
The event continued with a concert program with theparticipation of artists Chinara Malikzade, Sahib Pashazade, KananGadimov and Aynur Iskandarli. The performance of the Folk DanceEnsemble of the Azerbaijan State Philharmonicwas greeted withthunderous applause.
As part of the event, a photo exhibition was organized on thetopic of cooperation between two fraternal countries - Azerbaijanand Turkiye.