Türkiye, Azerbaijan cooperate through various platforms, official says

Türkiye cooperates with Azerbaijan through various international platforms, including the OTS and the United Nations, Ali Hamza Pehlivan, Head of Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), has said.

According to him, the two countries are also working on projects and the establishment of new structures within the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS), Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

He noted that they conduct joint exercises and training programs in disaster and emergency management.

Pehlivan remarked that meetings with representatives of Azerbaijan and other Turkic states are regularly held within the OTS.

He also recalled his meeting with Azerbaijani Emergency Situations Minister Kamaladdin Heydarov in April at an international event organised by Uzbekistan with the participation of representatives from Türkiye, Azerbaijan and the UN.

The AFAD chief praised Azerbaijan’s role in relief efforts following the earthquakes that struck Türkiye in February 2023, as well as the “Azerbaijan Quarter” project in Kahramanmaraş.

“During the devastating earthquake that occurred on February 6, 2023, Azerbaijan was the first to extend a brotherly hand to us. This event once again reminded us that Baku is a friend and pillar of support for Ankara,” he added.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov