Kahramanmaraş, June 19, AZERTAC

The opening ceremony of the “Azerbaijan” Quarter was held on June 19 in the city of Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye.

Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Türkiye, attended the event.

The national anthems of Azerbaijan and Türkiye were played at the ceremony, followed by the screening of a video dedicated to the “Azerbaijan” Quarter.

The President of the Republic of Azerbaijan addressed the event.

Speech by President Ilham Aliyev

- My dear brother, esteemed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,

Distinguished participants of the event, dear people of Kahramanmaraş,

First of all, I convey to you the sincerest greetings of the Azerbaijani people. May Allah rest the souls of all our brothers and sisters who lost their lives in the aftermath of the terrible earthquake on February 6, 2023, in peace.

The Azerbaijani people regarded this tragedy as their own. From the very first day, tens of thousands of Azerbaijanis began fulfilling their brotherly duty, gathering at aid collection points in Baku and other cities across the country to provide humanitarian aid. Immediately after the earthquake, search and rescue operations were launched under the leadership of my dear brother, the esteemed President, followed by large-scale reconstruction and building efforts. Within a short period, tens of thousands of people were provided with new homes. This once again demonstrates Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s profound commitment, compassion, and unwavering determination toward his people. At the same time, it stands as clear evidence of a strong Türkiye - because only a strong nation can undertake such extensive reconstruction work in such a short time.

Azerbaijan immediately sent more than a thousand personnel - including search and rescue teams, doctors, and volunteers - to the earthquake-affected regions of Türkiye, where they began working without delay. Azerbaijani teams rescued 53 people from the rubble, and Azerbaijani doctors provided medical assistance to 3,200 people at two field hospitals established by our country.

Azerbaijan has always stood by Türkiye, just as Türkiye has always stood by Azerbaijan. Today, my participation alongside my dear brother in the opening of the “Azerbaijan” Quarter is yet another testament to our unity and enduring friendship.

As you have just mentioned, we stood shoulder to shoulder with my dear brother, the esteemed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, on the issue of Karabakh from the very first day of the war. The support, solidarity, and political and moral backing extended to us by the President of Türkiye from the earliest hours of the conflict - and the unity of the Turkish people with us - gave Azerbaijan additional strength. We have restored historical justice, and today the Azerbaijani people live in comfort and security on their ancestral lands.

The establishment of the “Azerbaijan” Quarter is also a remarkable event. More than 90 buildings have been constructed, and 1,200 apartments will soon house our Turkish brothers and sisters. The neighborhood includes a school and a kindergarten, and the construction of a cultural center is also planned.

We stand by each other in both good times and difficult ones. We multiply each other’s strength. Today, the Türkiye-Azerbaijan brotherhood and unity are not only a vital factor for our region – we also stand as a symbol of security, cooperation, development, and solidarity on a global scale.

The Shusha Declaration, which we signed together with the esteemed President in Shusha four years ago has raised our relations to the highest level. The Shusha Declaration has officially elevated our relations to the level of an alliance. We are friends, brothers and allies. Türkiye and Azerbaijan, two brotherly countries, are confidently and successfully moving forward hand in hand in political, economic, energy, transport, military and all other fields.

Today, I am visiting this beautiful land for the first time. I have traveled to many other parts of Türkiye and witnessed the natural beauty of this remarkable country. I am very pleased to be here, in the ancient Turkish land of Kahramanmaraş.

The people of Kahramanmaraş demonstrated great resolve in the face of a devastating earthquake. They did not break or bend. They stood firm, knowing and believing that behind them stood a strong leader - Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Behind them stands a strong Türkiye.

This, of course, once again reflects how deeply the people of Kahramanmaraş are connected to their homeland, their leader, and their state.

extend the heartfelt respect and love of the Azerbaijani people to everyone living in the earthquake-affected regions. You know - and should always know - that you have 10 million brothers and sisters in Azerbaijan. And we, in Azerbaijan, know that we have more than 80 million brothers and sisters in Türkiye.

Long live Türkiye! Long live the unity and brotherhood between Türkiye and Azerbaijan!

x x x

The President of the Republic of Türkiye then delivered a speech.

Speech by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

- My dear brother, President Ilham Aliyev,

Distinguished guests, dear people of Kahramanmaraş,

My esteemed brothers in our other provinces,

I greet you with the sincerest feelings, affection, and love.

Through you, I send my greetings and respect to all of Maraş with its neighborhoods, districts, and homes from here. In the same way, I respectfully greet our citizens who are currently following us via live broadcast from Maraş. I sincerely greet our ten million brothers and sisters in dear Azerbaijan, who contributed to the “Azerbaijan” Quarter we are opening today in the person of my esteemed friend and brother, President Ilham Aliyev.

I say “Welcome!” to my brother Ilham and his esteemed delegation, to Türkiye, their second home. We are pleased to welcome you to Maraş on the occasion of such a meaningful and significant ceremony for us.

Yes, today we are once again witnessing the realization of the slogan “One Nation in Two States” because we are the children of one nation in two states, praying under the shadow of the same flag, shedding tears on the same prayer mat, giving sacrifices for the same independence, and having one heart. “Can our hearts and souls be separate, Türkiye from Azerbaijan?” Today we are showing the whole world again what our brotherhood means, echoing the words of our poets. May Allah make this unshakable solidarity and this love between us permanent.

I would like to thank my brother Ilham and his delegation on behalf of the people of Kahramanmaraş. First of all, I would like to emphasize this: One of the most visible examples of the unity of fate between Türkiye and Azerbaijan is the apartments we have just inaugurated. You know, on February 6, 2023, we experienced one of the greatest natural disasters in our history. We have had many sad memories from the past to this day. However, the disaster and destruction we saw in our 11 provinces that day was different from all others. We lost 53,735 lives, 12,796 of them in Maraş. May Allah never let us experience such a tragedy again. On this occasion, I once again pray for Allah’s mercy upon our brothers and sisters who lost their lives in the earthquake, and ask Him to grant patience and strength to those they left behind.

Thankfully, we did not lose faith in the moment the earthquake struck. Not for a single day did we give in to despair in the face of this great test. We gave our hearts and souls to our nation and quickly pulled ourselves together.

Of course, dear brothers, one of the first to come to the aid of our country in this difficult period was our dear Azerbaijan. We can never forget and will not forget the solidarity of the Azerbaijani people, who, upon receiving news of the disaster, began to help our nation by saying “I am with you, my Türkiye!”, who tried to help our nation by putting everything they had on the roof of their cars, who shared in our grief with their prayers, support, and sincere tears. In particular, the great contribution made by our brother Ilham Aliyev and his esteemed spouse Mehriban Aliyeva to our relief mobilization will always have a special place in our hearts.

Our “Azerbaijan” Quarter is one of our most prestigious projects and a true source of pride. This neighborhood, which was destroyed in the earthquake, is now being brought back to life with the support of Azerbaijan. Under the constant attention and oversight of my brother Ilham, this project will become a safe and prosperous home for our brothers and sisters who will settle here—a development that, Inshallah, will be admired and envied by all who see it.

Not only for its housing, but also for its parks, gardens, cultural center, and the Heydar Aliyev Secondary School, this area is being revived as a residential district worthy of the leading cities of Türkiye’s centenary.

At present, construction is rapidly progressing on a total of 2,778 apartments, shops, and offices. Nearly half of the work has already been completed. Inshallah, we will finish the remaining construction by the end of the year and deliver the keys to their new owners.

I would like to express with great satisfaction that this brotherly hand - extended to us under the leadership of Mr. Ilham Aliyev - has left a lasting mark of fraternity on the hearts of the people of Maraş. In every step taken here, in every nail driven - whether in Anatolia or in Azerbaijan - there is the effort, sincerity, and prayer of a Turk. May Allah be pleased with them all.

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to every brother who contributed to this project, from the workers to the engineers, and to all our Azerbaijani brothers. I would also like to congratulate the Azerbaijan State Housing Construction Agency and the leadership of our Housing Development Administration, both on my own behalf and on behalf of our entire nation.

I sincerely hope that the residents of this quarter will enjoy their new homes in peace, prosperity, and good health.

Dear residents of Maraş, very distinguished guests. With projects like these, we are creating new conditions that will give hope and confidence in our future to our cities destroyed in the Disaster of the Century. Along with housing projects, we are building new residential areas with social security areas and infrastructure projects. We are reviving historical sites in accordance with their original appearance. In Kahramanmaraş, we are repairing our registered cultural monuments in the Closed Bazaar, and we are building workplaces in the historical Blacksmiths' Bazaar. In Adiyaman, we are reviving our historical city square; in Malatya the Şire Bazaar, the Kuyumcular, Yüzüncü Yıl, and Bakircilar bazaars; in Hatay the Uzun Bazaar, our Habib-i Neccar Mosque, and the centuries-old Kemal Paşa and Kurtuluş avenues in accordance with their historical appearance.

Whatever the circumstances in the world or in our region, our priority remains clear. As a government, we are focused on healing the wounds caused by the Disaster of the Century in our cities as swiftly as possible. We have never let our nation down at any point during our time in office. Inshallah, we will fulfill the promises we made on the campaign trail - here as well.

Inshallah, with this understanding, we have turned the earthquake region into a giant construction site. Believe me, no country can recover from such a major natural disaster so quickly. From the first day of the disaster until now, we have built an area almost the size of a European country. Hundreds of thousands of architects, engineers, and workers worked day and night on the construction sites set up in our eleven provinces. The number of houses we have handed over in the Construction of the Century activities is increasing every passing day. You see, while the opposition is completely busy with their internal disputes, we are handing over the infrastructure and apartments that we have completed with high quality to their owners. We increased the number of apartments, country houses, and workplaces we have put into operation to 100,000 in September, 130,000 in October, 155,000 in November, and 201,000 in January. Today, we are bringing this figure to 250,000.

In the draw that we will hold with a live video link in a moment, we will hand over a total of 49,056 apartments and shops to their owners, including 21,114 apartments and 1,125 workplaces in our Hatay, 8,064 apartments and 1,097 workplaces in our Malatya, 3,554 apartments and 1,723 workplaces in our Adiyaman, 675 apartments in our Gaziantep, 2,636 apartments in our Diyarbakir, 490 apartments in our Adana, 1,263 apartments in our Şanlıurfa, 1,429 apartments in our Elazig, 1,336 apartments in our Osmaniye, 105 apartments in our Kilis, 85 apartments in our Sivas, 49 apartments in our Kayseri, 3,567 apartments and 744 workplaces in our Kahramanmaraş.

Our goal is to complete the construction of 453,000 apartments and facilities by the end of 2025. So far, we have invested more than 2 trillion liras in our earthquake-affected region. We have allocated 584 billion liras in our 2025 budget so that the disaster of the century can be completely eliminated. We aim to rebuild all our cities by the end of the year and not leave a single unfinished story behind. Even if the opposition does not understand, the process we are experiencing is equivalent to a national struggle. We are fighting this struggle with the grace of Allah.

What did they say? That the government could never rise from this devastation. Yet despite these envious voices, we continue to work with determination, patience, and resolve.

As I always say: everyone’s sea is only as vast as their horizon. Those who make grand promises during every election - yet now can’t even find their way back to the earthquake zone - have a horizon that barely extends beyond the tip of their nose.

Once their own goals are met, sadly, the needs of the nation no longer even cross their minds. They cannot lift their heads from the struggle for power and personal gain. Truly, they are in a pitiful state.

My brothers, our compass has never been the opposition. We are still only looking at our work, as we have been for 23 years. They will spread despair, and we will be the hope, companion, and friend of fate for our brothers who were affected by the earthquake. They will say, “You won't be able to do it,” and we will all revive our cities stronger together. They will be the obstacle, and we will either find a way or open a way to overcome the obstacle. While they are arguing, fighting, and spending their days doing useless things, we will serve all of Türkiye with love together with Kahramanmaraş. As eighty-six million, we will all step forward to a strong tomorrow together.

We have many reasons to be hopeful. Look, the best example of this is Kahramanmaraş’s Istiklalspor. This sports club, which was competing in the amateur league before February 6, lost 14 of its athletes in the earthquake. Our club, which was promoted to the third league by the Football Federation, had a one-year break in its activities. Last year, it was promoted to the second league in football and the first league in basketball. I congratulate them and wish them continued success. I know very well that there are similar examples of success in our other provinces affected by the earthquake.

My brothers, I would like to say goodbye to you with the emotional verses dedicated to Karabakh by the late Abdurrahim Karakoç, a son of Kahramanmaraş, written immediately after the Khojaly massacre:

Yes, our late poet said thirty years ago, “This game comes round, but doesn’t fade.” The Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Ilham Aliyev, showed us that Karabakh has regained its freedom after thirty years of occupation and oppression. Three weeks ago, we were in Lachin on the occasion of May 28 – Independence Day. After Fuzuli and Zangilan, we also put Lachin International Airport into operation together with my brother Ilham Aliyev. After liberation from occupation, development and restoration work is continuing rapidly in all parts of Karabakh. With the achievement of peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Inshallah, this work will accelerate even more.

May Allah make our unity and vitality with Azerbaijan permanent! With these thoughts, I once again sincerely congratulate our dear Azerbaijan on June 15 – National Salvation Day. I once again remember with mercy and respect the lives we lost as a result of the earthquake and, in the person of my brother Ilham Aliyev, I express my most sincere gratitude to the people of Azerbaijan for their solidarity, support, and prayers.

I do hope that our new apartments and workplaces, which we will cast lots for, will be auspicious again, and I congratulate our Ministry of Environment, the Housing Development Administration, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, our benefactors, and all my brothers who have contributed to the construction of the apartments.

I greet you all again with respect and love, and I entrust you to Allah. Thank you, be well, stay safe!

x x x

Later, Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan laid the foundation stone for the cultural center to be built in the “Azerbaijan” Quarter in an online format.

Keys to new apartments were handed over to several families affected by the earthquake.

President Ilham Aliyev and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan cut the symbolic ribbon marking the opening of the “Azerbaijan” Quarter.

Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan toured the “Azerbaijan” Quarter and viewed the newly constructed apartments there.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited the Heydar Aliyev primary school and kindergarten built in the “Azerbaijan” Quarter in Kahramanmaraş to familiarize themselves with the facilities created there.

The children welcomed the heads of state of Azerbaijan and Türkiye with great joy.

Following that, the presidents listened to a performance of the song “The Black Sea Raged” by the school’s teachers and students.

President Ilham Aliyev and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan presented report cards to students graduating from the 4th grade. The heads of state also gifted the students school bags.

The modern three-story building of the school and kindergarten includes 20 primary school classrooms and 3 kindergarten rooms. Additional rooms have also been allocated for children to support their education.

The building features subject classrooms equipped with essential teaching materials, as well as rooms for music, art, and labor education. Workshops have been established to help students develop skills in technology, mathematics, and engineering.

x x x

Immediately after the devastating earthquake in southeastern Türkiye in February 2023, the Azerbaijani state and people stood by the brotherly country.

From the first days of the disaster, under the directive of President Ilham Aliyev, all available resources were mobilized to assist the brotherly country. In addition to participating in search and rescue operations, efforts of both government institutions and non-governmental organizations of the country were directed to other areas of assistance.

Based on another important directive of the head of state, the construction of the “Azerbaijan” Quarter in Kahramanmaraş was launched to provide long-term support to the brotherly country.

The construction works were carried out by Azerbaijan’s State Housing Development Agency. The quarter, covering an area of 27.6 hectares, includes 68 residential buildings with 1,194 apartments, the Heydar Aliyev primary school, kindergarten, cultural center, and other social facilities. Additionally, 1,595 commercial units will be created for families to settle there.

On September 11, 2024, the Heydar Aliyev primary school and kindergarten were officially opened.

According to the master plan of the “Azerbaijan” Quarter, construction of blocks 7, 8, 11, and 12 has already been completed. These 4 blocks include 26 residential buildings. All buildings are four stories high. A total of 456 apartments and 328 non-residential units have been built in these buildings.