TURKPA session sees Azerbaijan, Türkiye's Northern Cyprus push for deeper parliamentary ties

Speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament Sahiba Gafarova has met with Ziya Öztürkler, Speaker of the Assembly of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and emphasised the importance of collaboration between parliamentary friendship groups. 

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 14th Plenary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TURKPA) in Astana on June 11, Caliber.Az reports via local media. 

Öztürkler expressed sincere gratitude to Azerbaijan, especially Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, for the country’s unwavering support of the TRNC. He emphasized the deep appreciation Northern Cyprus holds for this partnership.

Moreover, Öztürkler also welcomed the TRNC’s active participation in the TURKPA session, underlining that the organization’s progress especially during Azerbaijan’s current chairmanship has strengthened TURKPA’s international standing and influence within the Turkic world. 

In turn, Gafarova emphasised ongoing efforts to unite Turkic nations through strengthened cooperation within TURKPA, fostering closer parliamentary ties. She reaffirmed that bolstering Turkic unity and expanding inter-state relations remain key priorities of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy, pointing to President Aliyev’s consistent advocacy and initiatives in this regard.

Both parliamentarians exchanged views on the agenda of the 14th TURKPA Plenary Session, discussing issues of mutual interest and the future direction of the assembly.

By Naila Huseynova