Azerbaijan celebrates Republic’s foundation

ANKARA

During the reception, Farid Mammadov, who won second place in last year’s Eurovision, and the National Dance Company of Azerbaijan both performed. DAILY NEWS photo, Hasan ALTINIŞIK

The Azerbaijani Embassy in Ankara hosted a reception to mark the 95th anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of Azerbaijan on May 27 at Haydar Aliyev Park, a park restored by Azerbaijan’s state-owned energy company SOCAR. 

Azerbaijan Democratic Republic formed in 1918 and in 1991 Azerbaijan gained independence after the Soviet Union was officially dissolved

Energy Minister Taner Yıldız; Interior Minister Muammer Güler; Deputy Parliamentary Speaker Mehmet Sağlam; the head of the public and political issues department in Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s administration, Ali Hasanov; Great Unity Party (BBP) leader Mustafa Destici; and former Parliamentary Speaker Hikmet Çetin, as well as Turkish bureaucrats and senior commanders of the Turkish Armed Forces attended the reception hosted by Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Ankara, Faig Baghirov. 

“We are not connected only by the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, not only by the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum natural gas pipeline, not only by the new pipeline that we are going to build; at the same time, our thoughts are connecting us, our hearts are connecting us,” Yıldız said, noting that the two countries had strong ties. 

Sharing joy and grief

Similarly, Güler said he was pleased with the level of cooperation between the two countries. “We are two states but one people. Our closest relationship is with Azerbaijan.” 

Sağlam referred to the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, in his speech. “Azerbaijan’s grief is our grief, Azerbaijan’s joy is our joy.” During the reception, Farid Mammadov, who won second place in last year’s Eurovision contest representing Azerbaijan, and the National Dance Company of Azerbaijan both performed.