UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS FROM TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER
By Esra Tekin
ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Tuesday said that both Türkiye and Azerbaijan will continue to support each other “in both good and bad times.”
“Both countries (Türkiye and Azerbaijan) have always operated with the understanding of 'one nation, two states.' They will continue to stand together in both good times and bad,” Fidan said at a joint news conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov in the capital Ankara.
Fidan said that Türkiye and Azerbaijan have a fraternal relationship built on shared history, culture, language, and identity, which is unique in the world.
“In line with this understanding, Türkiye unwaveringly stood by its brother Azerbaijan during the unjust occupation of Karabakh for over 30 years and will continue to stand firmly by its side,” he added.
He said that efforts to advance Ankara-Baku relations, which were elevated to the level of alliance with the Shusha Declaration signed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on June 15, 2021, are ongoing without interruption.
“We comprehensively discussed the relations between our brother countries and exchanged detailed views today in our meeting. We are pleased with the progress of our economic relations. As we advance our cooperation in the energy sector, we are working based on common interests and a holistic strategy,” Fidan added.
- South Caucasus, peace talks, Organization of Turkic states
Emphasizing that the two sides reaffirmed their shared desire for establishing lasting peace and stability in the South Caucasus during the meeting, Fidan said that they evaluated the developments in the ongoing peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Fidan further said that they exchanged views on regional and global issues and discussed what further actions could be taken to strengthen the Organization of Turkic States.
He also said that they exchanged views on regional connectivity, logistics routes, and related topics.
Fidan said: "I believe that in the upcoming period, we will continue to work closely for the benefit of both countries and the friendship and brotherhood between them. Türkiye - Azerbaijan brotherhood will continue to contribute to regional peace and stability."
He said that the meeting also discussed Israel’s ongoing brutal attacks in Gaza.
The Turkish foreign minister also thanked his counterpart for the visit to Ankara and said that he would visit Azerbaijan again at the earliest opportunity.