The Turkish Embassy in Baku gave an official reception on 29 October to mark the 98^th anniversary of the establishment of the Republic of Turkey.

Chair of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova, Assistant to the President of the Azerbaijan Republic/Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmat Hajiyev and other officials took part in the event.

The national anthems of Azerbaijan and Turkey were sounded first.

Ambassador Cahit Bağçı took the floor to say that the Republic of Turkey had been assaulted by internal and external enemies and had had hazards rise in its path over the 98 years past. And yet, the state has resisted all the adversities firmly and has left them all behind. The ever-strengthening Turkey has been elaborating every possible method and strategy of countering the menaces it was facing and has lived to become the regional power and the global actor that it is today.

According to Ambassador Bağçı, Turkey is making every effort to deepen and expand further its relations with Azerbaijan in keeping with the ‘one nation – two states’ philosophy and with a view to the goals of the Shusha Declaration.

Then, Cahit Bağçı read out the public address made by President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the 98^th anniversary of the state’s emergence.

Chair of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova began her speech by passing on the sincerest congratulations and best regards of President Ilham Aliyev of the Azerbaijan Republic on the occasion of the 98^th birthday of the Republic of Turkey.

The path of prosperity and creation on which the great Mustafa Kemal Ataturk set the Republic of Turkey 98 years ago has shown the world what the Turkish nation were capable of. Especially notably, the Republic of Turkey has achieved remarkable progress under the guidance of the prominent politician and statesman of the Turkic World Mr Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the years past. Astonishing successes have been secured in every facet of both public and state life.

Madame Speaker was saying that Turkey’s present-day political, economic and military might made it one of the most powerful states of the world. Such prominence of the brotherly country is a source of immense joy because the strength of Turkey is that of Azerbaijan and vice versa.

The sincere relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey that rest on the shared values constitute a unique occurrence in the system of international relations. The friendship of our nations and our states is our greatest asset.

The Chair of the Milli Majlis emphasised that the relationship built on the ‘one nation, two states’ principle formulated by the Great Leader Heydar Aliyev. And, she quoted, the President of Azerbaijan Mr Ilham Aliyev said, ‘Turkey and Azerbaijan, the two brotherly countries, are always by each other’s side.’  

Our nations were a unified whole at the battle of Çanakkale and in the struggle against the Armenian-Bolshevik yoke over Baku at the dawn of the twentieth century as much as they were during the Patriotic War against the Armenian Fascism towards the end of 2020. They are united as one today, too, and will remain united forever, Sahiba Gafarova stressed.

Azerbaijan will be celebrating the Victory Day for the first time ever in ten days’ time, Mrs Gafarova recalled. Once again, the world could witness the Turkish-Azerbaijani friendship and brotherhood, and it was at the time of the combat led by the victorious Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev to end the occupation of our lands and raise the Azerbaijani flag in Garabagh. The moral and political support of the President of the Republic of Turkey Mr Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the categorical stance taken by the Turkish people, by the whole Turkey from the very first minutes and till the conclusion of the war showed for all to see that Turkey and her leader were by Azerbaijan’s side – everywhere and ever.

Azerbaijan’s victory in the Garabagh War II has given rise to a new kind of reality in the region. Today, the projects that alter the geopolitical panorama of the region and add new colours to it are being carried into life in a planned and resolute manner through the combined effort of Azerbaijan and Turkey.

‘One can proudly say that the President of the Republic of Turkey Mr Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s and the President of the Azerbaijan Republic Mr Ilham Aliyev’s visiting Shusha in June this year and signing the Shusha Declaration on the two states’ alliance as well as their opening the international airport of Fuzuli, laying the foundation for the Zangazur Corridor to bind Azerbaijan and Turkey yet closer together and blessing the other major projects recently came as a further token of our nations’ friendship and fraternity,’ Sahiba Gafarova concluded.

The official reception began then.

The Press and Public Relations Department
The Milli Majlis