Turkish air force pilots arrive in Azerbaijan to join upcoming drills

By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

A group of Turkish air force flight and technical personnel have arrived in Azerbaijan to attend the TurAz Falcon -2022 (TurAz Qartali) joint flight-tactical drills, Azernews reports, citing the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

“The work on staff accommodation, exercise planning, and other organizational issues are underway to get prepared for the exercises,” the ministry said.

The joint flight-tactical drills will kick off on September 5, it added.

Azerbaijan and Turkiye actively collaborate in various military spheres. Often the air, sea, and naval forces of the two countries conduct joint tactical drills.

The joint exercises aimed to improve the interaction between the two countries' army units during combat operations, develop the commanders' military decision-making and unit management skills.

Military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkiye 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 defense 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 sphere of sea, air, and space.