Victory Day and Armed Forces Day of Turkey Celebrated in Baku - UPDATED

On August 28, the leadership of the Ministry of Defense attended an official reception organized at the Embassy of Turkey in Azerbaijan on the occasion of Victory Day and the Day of the Armed Forces of Turkey, celebrated on August 30.

As reported by the Ministry of Defense, the event began with the performance of the national anthems of Azerbaijan and Turkey.

Then, the Ambassador of Turkey to Azerbaijan, Birol Akgün, read out the congratulatory message of the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, on the occasion of Victory Day.

In his speech, B. Akgün noted that the Turkish people and the Armed Forces of Turkey, under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, achieved a historic victory on August 30, 1922, successfully completing Turkey's struggle for independence.

The Ambassador highly praised the recent steps taken by the heads of state aimed at ensuring peace in the region, noting that as a result of their successful political activities, a historic opportunity has emerged for establishing lasting peace and prosperity in the South Caucasus.

He stated that Turkey will continue to support all of Azerbaijan's initiatives in this direction and will maintain an active stance in ensuring peace and stability.

B. Akgün noted that Azerbaijan's victory in the Patriotic War was achieved thanks to the leadership of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the heroism of the Azerbaijani Army, and the unity of the people. He emphasized the importance of always remembering with respect and reverence those who contributed to achieving this victory.

Then, Minister of Defense Colonel General Zakir Hasanov delivered his speech. He congratulated brotherly Turkey on Victory Day and the 104th anniversary of the Day of the Armed Forces of Turkey, wishing it peace, tranquility, prosperity, and well-being.

Z. Hasanov emphasized that the victory achieved by Turkey in the War of Independence is one of the most glorious pages in the history of the brotherly country.

He noted that the brotherly relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan are strengthening day by day based on the principle "One nation – two states" bequeathed to us by the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev, and the principle of the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who deeply loved Azerbaijan: "Azerbaijan's joy is our joy, its sorrow is our sorrow."

The Minister noted that thanks to the sincere relations between the heads of state of Azerbaijan and Turkey, these ties have been further developed, emphasizing that, guided by these very principles, our countries always, as before, support each other at decisive moments.

Colonel General Z. Hasanov stated that bilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey, which is one of the important pillars of regional peace and security, has been elevated to the level of alliance thanks to the Shusha Declaration signed by the heads of state.

The Minister of Defense spoke about the ongoing reforms in the military, military-educational, and military-technical spheres under the leadership of the President of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev, aimed at developing the Azerbaijani Army based on the model of the Armed Forces of Turkey.

He noted that within the framework of the ongoing reforms, the dynamics of combat training activities are increasing day by day, and joint military exercises involving various branches of the armed forces are conducted annually both in Azerbaijan and Turkey. According to him, these exercises are of great importance for enhancing the professionalism of military personnel, achieving interoperability between the armies, as well as further strengthening friendly and brotherly ties.

The official reception was attended by representatives of state and government structures, ambassadors of foreign countries accredited in Azerbaijan, military attachés, representatives of international organizations, and the public.

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