BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 6. Azerbaijan and Türkiye have historically built their relationship on the principles of brotherhood, and over time, this has evolved into a strategic partnership and alliance, the political analyst Azer Garayev said in an interview with Trend.
“The two countries continue to strengthen their cooperation across political, economic, energy, defense, and cultural sectors.
Political relations between Azerbaijan and Türkiye are at the highest level. The foundation of these relations is shared history, culture, and national interests. Under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, the relations between Azerbaijan and Türkiye continue to develop. The Shusha Declaration, signed in 2021, officially elevated these relations to the level of an alliance. The declaration envisions deepening cooperation in security, defense, and economic fields,” Garayev said.
According to him, both countries also actively support each other on the international stage.
“Türkiye demonstrated the clearest example of this brotherhood during Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the 44-day Second Karabakh War. Azerbaijan, in turn, is an important partner in strengthening Türkiye's position on international platforms. The common interests of Türkiye and Azerbaijan are not only regional but also global. Both countries are strengthening cooperation within the framework of the Turkic States Organization (OTS) and supporting the integration of the Turkic world. Moreover, they maintain close ties to present a unified position at international organizations such as the United Nations (UN), NATO, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and other international bodies,” Garayev added.
Discussing economic cooperation, the political analyst emphasized that economic relations between Azerbaijan and Türkiye are developing at a steady pace.
“Azerbaijan and Türkiye aim to increase their trade turnover to $15 billion shortly. The key areas of economic cooperation between the two countries include energy, transportation and logistics, industry and trade, as well as technology and defense industries. There is extensive cooperation in the energy sector, including the TANAP and Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan projects, as well as oil and gas exports to third countries. Recently, one of these projects, the Ighdır-Nakhchivan gas pipeline, was inaugurated, with Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in attendance. As President Ilham Aliyev mentioned during the inauguration ceremony: ‘The project we are inaugurating today will ensure the energy security of Nakhchivan. The gas coming from Azerbaijan will be transferred to Nakhchivan through the territory of Türkiye in the form of a swap and will save Nakhchivan from this problem,’ President Ilham Aliyev stated.
This pipeline will provide a more stable and reliable gas supply to Nakhchivan. Previously, the autonomous republic imported gas from Iran, but now it will receive natural gas directly from Türkiye. The main advantages of this project include the diversification of Nakhchivan's gas supply, lower transportation costs, stable energy supply, and strengthening strategic cooperation in the energy sector. The realization of this project marks another step in our energy cooperation, and I am confident such steps will continue,” he added.
Garayev also pointed out the growing transportation cooperation between the two countries.
“Both countries are participating together in several projects, including the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, the Middle Corridor, and others. The next stage of this collaboration will be the Zangezur Corridor. As the head of state mentioned, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, which connects Türkiye and Azerbaijan, provides significant advantages for both our countries and the wider geography: ''This transport link has tremendous significance and benefits, especially in terms of uniting the Turkic world. Naturally, the unity and brotherhood between Türkiye and Azerbaijan make a great contribution to the entire Turkic world. My dear Brother, the esteemed President, has played an immense role in the unification of the Turkic world. Under his leadership, Türkiye has achieved great successes and created new opportunities for closer Turkic unity. Azerbaijan has always attached great importance to the unification of the Turkic world and has spared no effort to ensure this unity, make it eternal, and establish relations based on common interests and shared history.''
Additionally, the opening of the Zangezur Corridor will further enhance the land connection between the two countries, which will, in turn, contribute to the development of cultural, humanitarian, and people-to-people relations between Azerbaijan and Türkiye,” he added.
Garayev emphasized that both Azerbaijan and Türkiye are guarantors of peace and development in the region.
“As Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has stated, Türkiye and Azerbaijan stand for peace, stability, and prosperity: ''We only want peace in our region, we want cooperation, and we want all of us to develop together. For this purpose, we have taken a number of steps and demonstrated how sincere we are. Inshallah, from now on, we are determined to implement all kinds of projects related to regional peace, prosperity, and security together.’'
Azerbaijan and Türkiye are not only strategic partners and allies but also leading countries in the region. Both countries are taking crucial steps to strengthen security and prosperity in the region, promote regional integration through cooperation, and foster economic projects. In this regard, the joint strategic initiatives of Azerbaijan and Türkiye play a vital role in maintaining peace, expanding cooperation, and ensuring sustainable development in the region. Azerbaijan-Türkiye relations are not limited to current realities; the future of these relations is even brighter. The two countries are implementing new projects to expand bilateral investment initiatives, develop joint weapons production and defense industries, and strengthen the economic and political integration of the Turkic world,” Garayev noted.
The political analyst stressed that the relations between Azerbaijan and Türkiye go beyond just diplomatic and economic ties.
“This is a strategic alliance based on the shared history and interests of our brotherly nations. The ongoing development of political and economic cooperation, the realization of new energy and transportation projects, and the prospects all indicate the strengthening of this partnership. The joint projects undertaken by Azerbaijan and Türkiye are significant not only for the two countries but for the entire region, and their success will contribute to the further strengthening of the Turkic world on the global stage,” he concluded.
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