On September 15, the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov received the delegation led by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Turkiye, Army General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu.

Axar.az informs, citing the Ministry of Defense, the Turkish delegation is paying a working visit to Azerbaijan at the invitation of the First Deputy Minister of Defense – Chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijan Army, Colonel General Karim Valiyev.

The Turkish guests first visited the graves of the National Leader of Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev and prominent ophthalmologist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva in the Alley of Honor, as well as the Alley of Martyrs. The guests laid wreaths and flowers and paid tribute to their bright memory.

Then the Chiefs of the General Staff of both fraternal countries visited the Turkish Martyrs' Cemetery, laid wreaths at the monument and paid tribute to the memory of the soldiers of the Caucasus Islamic Army, who sacrificed their lives for liberation of Baku.

At the official welcoming ceremony organized at the General Staff of the Azerbaijan Army, the Chiefs of the General Staff passed along the guard of honor. The national anthems of both countries were performed. In accordance with protocol, the Turkish guest signed the “Book of Honor”.

During the meeting held at the Ministry of Defense, Colonel General Z.Hasanov welcomed the guests and expressed satisfaction with seeing them in Azerbaijan. The Minister noted that the Azerbaijani-Turkish relations, based on deep historical roots, shared values and mutual trust, have further developed thanks to the friendly ties between the heads of state of the two fraternal countries. The Minister highly appreciated Turkiye’s consistent support for Azerbaijan and highlighted the historical significance of September 15, the day of Baku’s liberation from the Dashnak-Bolshevik occupation, for the Azerbaijani people.

The Defense Minister congratulated Army General S.Bayraktaroglu on his appointment as Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Turkiye.

In turn, Army General S.Bayraktaroglu expressed his gratitude for the warm reception and hospitality. Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces noted that such visits and meetings contribute positively to the development of relations based on mutual trust and friendship.

Within the visit, a meeting between the Chiefs of the General Staff of both countries was held. During the meeting, Colonel General K.Valiyev highlighted the innovations implemented in the Azerbaijan Army and emphasized that there are all opportunities to further develop the military cooperation between the two countries.

The sides conducted a detailed exchange of views on the current state and further expansion of cooperation in military, military-technical, military-educational and other spheres, as well as discussed other issues of mutual interest.

During the meetings, discussions on new prospects for military cooperation, regional security and other issues of interest were held.