Azerbaijan, Türkiye deepen military education ties ahead of high-level talks PHOTO / VIDEO

Azerbaijani Defence Minister, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov has received a high-level Turkish delegation led by Rector of Türkiye’s National Defence University, Professor Erhan Afyoncu ahead of a High-Level Dialogue Meeting focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation in military education and training.

As part of their official programme, the delegation paid their respects at the Alley of Honour by visiting the graves of Azerbaijani national leader Heydar Aliyev and prominent academician Zarifa Aliyeva, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry. 

They also laid flowers at the Alley of Martyrs and the Turkish Martyrs’ Cemetery, honouring the memory of fallen heroes. During the meeting at the Ministry of Defence, Hasanov welcomed the guests and expressed satisfaction with the deepening defence ties between Azerbaijan and Türkiye.

He emphasised that the collaboration between the two fraternal nations continues to flourish across multiple sectors, including military education. Professor Afyoncu thanked the Azerbaijani side for its hospitality and underscored the positive impact of joint efforts in science and education on building the modern military workforce in both countries. He noted that cooperation in this area serves to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two allies. 

The delegation also held a separate meeting with Colonel General Karim Valiyev, First Deputy Minister of Defence and Chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijan Army. Valiyev highlighted the mutual benefits of the upcoming High-Level Dialogue and discussed practical steps to expand cooperation between the military academic institutions of Azerbaijan and Türkiye. The discussions concluded with a broad exchange of views on future joint initiatives and areas of mutual interest, reaffirming both sides’ commitment to long-term defence and educational collaboration.

By Naila Huseynova