Recent large-scale military drills between Turkey and Azerbaijan demonstrated the power, courage, and defense capabilities of their armed forces, according to an Azerbaijani lawmaker.
“JOINT DRILLS ARE SOURCE OF PRIDE”
“Military partnership constitutes an important vector of the Azerbaijan-Turkey strategic cooperation,” Sevil Mikayilova, an Azerbaijani parliamentarian, said in an exclusive interview in the wake of recent Armenian attacks on Azerbaijani border points.
Turkey-Azerbaijan military drills continue WATCH
Calling the 13-day joint military exercises – which ended on Monday – a “source of pride” for both nations, Mikayilova said the drills, which included the air and ground forces, were not the first of their kind, as the two countries have been holding such exercises on a regular basis since 2015, sometimes along with neighboring Georgia.
The cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey is not directed against any other country or group, she stressed, calling them cooperation “for the sake of peace and partnership” springing from the two states’ historical and cultural roots and ethnic identity.
“For Azerbaijan, Turkey is the closest ally and fraternal country,” Mikayilova said. She underlined that Ankara has always supported Baku’s “fair position” on resolving the Upper Karabakh issue between Armenia and Azerbaijan. “We are grateful to fraternal Turkey for the immediate support demonstrated during the last attacks,” she said.
Unity between Azerbaijan and Turkey lays the groundwork for all regional cooperation formats, Mikayilova said, adding that this unity promotes regional peace and cooperation.