Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left) with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev in Baku on Oct. 31
BAKU—Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erodgan on Tuesday praised his country’s relations with Azerbaijan saying the bond of solidarity between the two nations keeps “getting stronger.” Erdogan, along with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev also ramped up their anti-Armenian rhetoric when discussing the Karabakh conflict, which Erdogan said was “a bleeding wound” for Turkey.
Erdogan was speaking at a press conference in the Azerbaijani capital with his counterpart Ilham Aliyev, after the two attended the 6th Turkey-Azerbaijan High-Level Strategic Council meeting.
“The solidarity between Turkey and Azerbaijan in political, military, economic, cultural areas continues to get stronger,” said Erodgan.
To that end, Aliyev remarked that Azerbaijan would continue and expand its military cooperation with Turkey by purchasing more weapons from Ankara.
Turkish President Recep Tayyop Erdogan, Ilham Aliyev and Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili during the Oct. 30 launch of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway
On Monday, when the two leaders were joined by the Georgian Prime Minister, Giorgi Kvirikashvili for the opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, Erdogan was quick to say that “unless Armenia ends the occupation of the Azerbaijani territories, this issue will not be resolved.”
“We believe that the international community, especially the Minsk Group, should work more actively to solve the Nagorno-Karabakh problem. We will continue to stand next with Azerbaijan in this matter, as in every matter,” added Erdogan.
The theme of “friendship, brotherhood and unity,” spilled over into Tuesday, when Aliyev, once again, turned his focus on the Karabakh conflict, reiterating his damaging positions, which continue to stall the peace process.
‘The people and state of Azerbaijan will never allow for the creation of a second Armenian state on our historical land…Turkey has always supported the just cause of Azerbaijan in all international organizations as a friend, as a brother,” said Aliyev.