Turkish defense minister pays visit to Azerbaijan
BAKU
Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler held high-level talks with Azerbaijani President İlham Aliyev as part of his official visit to Baku on May 13.
During his visit, Güler also met with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov. The two officials convened at the Azerbaijani ministry headquarters, where Güler was welcomed with a formal military ceremony. The ensuing bilateral discussions delved into multifaceted defense and security cooperation, as well as regional dynamics.
Güler paid tribute at several memorial sites in the Azerbaijani capital as he laid a wreath at the grave of late President Heydar Aliyev.
The Turkish minister also honored on Jan. 20 the victims of the 1990 attack, a tragedy and deadly crackdown by the Soviet administration etched into history as “Black January” and a poignant symbol of Azerbaijan’s independence.
His itinerary also included the Turkish Martyrs’ Cemetery in Baku, where he placed carnations on symbolic graves, and the Victory Monument, erected in commemoration of Azerbaijan’s triumph in the Second Karabakh War.
Aliyev: PKK’s dissolution a ‘historic event'
During his meeting with Güler, the Azerbaijani president characterized the dissolution and disarmament of the PKK terrorist organization as a “historic milestone.”
Aliyev attributed this critical development to the unwavering political resolve of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
PKK announced on May 12 that it will disband and disarm as part of a new peace initiative with Türkiye, ending four decades of armed conflict. PKK’s announcement followed a February statement by jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, who called for the dissolution of PKK and its affiliated groups, urging an end to the armed campaign.
“The strength of the Turkish state, the professional fight of the Turkish Armed Forces against terrorism and the unity of Turkish society were decisive in the organization taking this step,” Aliyev said.
Voicing congratulations on the terror group’s dissolution, Aliyev said the news carries great importance not only for Türkiye but also for the peace and stability of the people of the region.
