Baku, Ankara highlight significance of mutual support

/By AzerNews/

By Sara Rajabova

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has met a delegation led by Army General Hulusi Akar, the Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces.

President Aliyev said like in all areas, Azerbaijani-Turkish cooperation is successfully developing and strengthening in the military field too, AzerTac state news agency reported.

Highlighting the sound history of military cooperation, President Aliyev said bilateral ties has expanded during the years of Azerbaijan`s independence.

He further stressed the importance of the joint military exercises held in Azerbaijan and Turkey.

The joint tactical exercises entitled "TurAz Qartali-2015" of the Azerbaijani and Turkish Armies were held in Azerbaijan in September. The exercises, which were held as part of an annual joint military plan, lasted until September 18.

Claiming Azerbaijan and Turkey to have the closest bilateral relations in the world, President Aliyev underlined the significance of the fact that the two countries have always supported each other on all issues.

President Aliyev expressed his confidence that a broad exchange of views on the expansion of cooperation will be discussed during the meeting with the delegation led by Akar.

Akar, for his part, said the joint exercises held on the foundations of brotherhood were of great importance.

He said that the two countries managed to achieve exemplary cooperation on a variety of fronts during the joint exercises held both in Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Akar said there are no bilateral relations similar to those between Turkey and Azerbaijan in the world, emphasizing the significance of these ties.

He expressed his confidence that under the leadership of the presidents of Turkey and Azerbaijan, these relations will further expand in the years to come.

Azerbaijan and Turkey's relationship has been strong due to a common culture and history and the mutual intelligibility of Turkish and Azerbaijani languages.

Turkey was the first country in the world to recognize Azerbaijan's independence in 1991 and has been a staunch supporter of Azerbaijan in its efforts to consolidate its independence, preserve its territorial integrity, and realize the economic potential that arises from the rich natural resources of the Caspian Sea.

Furthermore, during his Baku visit, Akar said Turkey does not accept double standards with respect to the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

He told Trend that like before, Turkey would support Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the framework of the internationally accepted concepts of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and in accordance with international law.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. A lengthy war in the early 1990s resulted with the occupation of over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions by the Armenian armed forces.

Ankara has made clear that it wants Armenia to immediately and unconditionally leave the region in view of restoring Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and internationally recognized borders.

Akar also added that Turkey expects the international community to demonstrate the same reaction it did in the situation in Ukraine with regard to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.