Milli Majlis's call to AK Parti: Distortion of the essence of the principle "One nation - two states" is unacceptable

The Working Group of the Milli Majlis on inter-parliamentary relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey has published a statement.

Oxu.Az was informed about this by the press and public relations department of the Azerbaijani parliament.

The statement reads:

"The recent biased information campaign against Azerbaijan in some Turkish media and social networks, as well as the unfounded accusations leveled by some members of parliament from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Parti) and the chief advisor to the President of the Republic of Turkey, Oktay Saral, against our country, cause serious concern and regret in the Working Group on Inter-Parliamentary Relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey.

Azerbaijan and Turkey maintain friendly, fraternal, and strategic alliance relations. Azerbaijan is an independent and sovereign state and determines its domestic and foreign policy in accordance with its national interests and Constitution. The principle of "One Nation – Two States," formulated by national leader Heydar Aliyev, implies the existence of precisely two independent and sovereign states. Distorting the essence of this principle, using it as a basis for interfering in the internal affairs of Azerbaijan, and imposing external political and ideological approaches on Azerbaijani society is unacceptable.

The secular nature of Azerbaijan's state system and freedom of religion are guaranteed by the Constitution. Educational policy in our country is based on the principles of secularism, equality, and the creation of equal opportunities for all citizens. The rules in effect at educational institutions apply equally to all citizens and are not directed against any religious affiliation. Politicizing these issues on a religious-ideological level and making unfounded accusations against Azerbaijan's constitutional order and educational policy are unacceptable.

The use of offensive and defamatory expressions against the President, Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, our people, their history, and great figures is also unacceptable and causes justified discontent among the Azerbaijani public. We note with regret that the AK Parti leadership is not taking any steps to prevent all of this. The tolerant attitude toward the holding of provocative actions in front of Azerbaijan's diplomatic missions in Turkey and calls for their holding also raises a number of questions.

We believe that the special nature of Azerbaijani-Turkish relations requires adherence to the principles of political responsibility, mutual respect, and non-interference in each other's internal affairs. Statements by individual political figures should not damage relations between the two countries.

We expect that the relevant political circles of Turkey, including representatives of the ruling political party represented in parliament, will approach these sensitive issues responsibly, will respect the sovereignty and constitutional order of Azerbaijan, and will refrain from statements that could negatively affect our relations."