Azerbaijani Culture Days start in Ankara

ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency

Azerbaijani Culture Minister Ebülfes Garayev (R) and his Turkish counterpart Ertuğrul Günay (2nd R) visit the exhibition opened at Ankara’s Cer Modern. AA photo

One of Ankara’s leading modern art museums, Cer Modern, has launched Azerbaijani Culture Days in honor of Turkey’s close eastern neighbor.

“Today we make the opening of the Azerbaijani Culture Days, one of the most meaningful ceremonies organized to celebrate the [20th] anniversary [of Azerbaijani independence]. We are actually the same nation and the same people. We have close political, economic and cultural relations,” Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuğrul Günay said June 18 during the event’s opening. Günay said many countries speaking Turkic languages, including Azerbaijan, were celebrating the 20th anniversary of their independence this year. Speaking at the event, Günay’s Azerbaijani counterpart, Ebülfes Garayev, talked about the cultural and fraternal ties between Turkey and Azerbaijan and said they had been working to strengthen those ties. “We will start working as soon as possible to organize Turkey Promotion Days.”

Exhibit reveals relations

The works in the exhibition will better help visitors understand the close relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan, Garayev said.

After the opening ceremony, Günay and Garayev viewed a dance and music show staged at Küçük Theater.

Günay said Azerbaijan had progressed in many fields in recent years. “There are new restaurants, museums and art centers that have been established in the country, especially in the capital Baku.”
Turkish Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz also attended the opening.