Around 40M Azerbaijanis living outside country denied access to education in native language: President

By Ceyhun Alizade

ANKARA (AA) – Around 40 million Azerbaijanis living outside of the country do not have access to education in their native language, President Ilham Aliyev said at a Turkic grouping summit on Friday.

Speaking at the meeting of the Organization of Turkic States leaders in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Aliyev said: "The Turkic world does not consist only of independent Turkic states. Its geographical boundaries are wider. I believe that the time has come to constantly keep in mind within the organization issues such as the protection of the rights, security, national identity, as well as the assimilation of our compatriots living outside the countries, members of the Organization of Turkic States."

He urged that the young generation in the Turkic world "should have the opportunity to study in their mother tongue in schools in the countries where they live."

The presidents of Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Türkiye, Hungary's prime minister, and the head of the upper house of Turkmenistan's parliament are participating the summit.