National servicemen accomplish military course in Turkey

By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

A graduation ceremony was held for the Azerbaijani servicemen who graduated from Mountain Commando Courses in Turkey's Isparta, the Defence Ministry has reported.

An Azerbaijani delegation, including representatives of the Azerbaijani embassy in Ankara, attended the ceremony organized at the Mountain Commando School and Training Center on October 16.

Addressing the ceremony, the speakers congratulated the servicemen and wished them success in their future service.

The graduates were awarded the certificates for successful completion of the course, the report added.

Azerbaijan and Turkey periodically hold joint drills to improve interaction and communication between their army units.

Military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey first emerged in 1992, with an agreement signed between the Azerbaijani and Turkish governments on military education and weapon equipment and deals to help strengthen the bond between the two nations.

On June 15, the two countries signed a memorandum of alliance that cemented the existing military, political and economic cooperation.

The Shusha Declaration on Allied Relations that President Ilham Aliyev and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed during the first official visit to Shusha eight months after Azerbaijan’s victory in the war with Armenia, also focuses on defence cooperation.

It affirms joint efforts by the two armies in the face of foreign threats. The declaration also pledges joint efforts for the restructuring and modernization of the armed forces. Moreover, the two nations affirm to encourage the execution of joint projects with the aim of developing capabilities in the field of sea, air, and space.

In an interview with Turkey's Anadolu Agency on September 27, President Ilham Aliyev said that the signing of the Shusha Declaration raised bilateral relations to an even higher level.