Baku, December 12, AZERTAC

Azerbaijan’s Minister of Defense, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov received a delegation led by Commander of the Air Force of the Republic of Türkiye, Army General Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu, who is on a visit to the country.

First, Turkish guests visited the graves of 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 and Turkish Martyrs’ Cemetery. The guests laid wreaths and flowers and honored their blessed memory.

During the meeting held at the Ministry of Defense, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov welcomed the guests and expressed his satisfaction with seeing them in Azerbaijan.

The Defense Minister informed the Turkish delegation about the current operational situation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian conditional border, highlighting that Armenia's rearmament negatively affects the preservation of peace and stability in the region.

Noting that the Azerbaijani-Turkish strategic alliance is based on friendly and fraternal relations, the Minister emphasized the importance of further development of military cooperation between the two countries. He also expressed pride in the continuous progress of the fraternal country's defense industry.

Army General Ziya Cemal Kadıoğlu expressed gratitude for the sincere hospitality and noted the high level of military relations focused on expanding the mutual experience exchange between the two countries.

The sides emphasized the necessity for joint analysis and study of conflicts taking place in the world recently and modern methods of warfare. They exchanged views on military, military-technical cooperation, regional security and highlighted the positive results of the Azerbaijani-Turkish High-Level Military Dialogue Meeting, which has been ongoing for 15 years.

Then, First Deputy Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan – Chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijan Army, Colonel General Karim Valiyev and Adviser to the Minister of Defense, Colonel General Bakhtiyar Ersay met with the delegation of the fraternal country. During the meetings held at the General Staff, the parties discussed prospects for the development of military cooperation, stressing the importance of conducting joint exercises to exchange experience and ensure interoperability between troops.

As part of the visit, Turkish representatives visited the Azerbaijan Air Force’s headquarters. Following the official welcoming ceremony, Deputy Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan – Commander of the Air Force, Lieutenant General Namig Islamzade met with the guests.

At the meeting, the sides discussed reforms carried out in the Azerbaijan Army and development of military relations, as well as highlighted the necessity of continuing cooperation in the field of military education to train professional personnel.

The Turkish delegation was informed about the work done at the Air Force’s Central Command Post.