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Azerbaijani President İlham Aliyev and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan have discussed the deadly wildfires in Turkey and the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, Azertag reported on 6 August.
In a telephone conversation that took place at Aliyev’s initiative on August 6, the Azerbaijani leader once again expressed his condolences to Erdogan over the deaths of people as a result of heavy forest fires in various parts of fraternal Turkey.
Aliyev said that Azerbaijan stood by Turkey in extinguishing the fires and preventing their consequences, and expressed solidarity.
Erdogan thanked for the condolences and for Azerbaijan’s support to Turkey in extinguishing the forest fires from the first days. He stressed that firefighters from Azerbaijan participated in the firefighting operations with high professionalism and love.
Aliyev noted that an additional 40 fire engines had already departed from Azerbaijan and would reach the fire zone on August 7 and added that the number of fire engines and equipment serving the area would reach 93. The head of state noted that one helicopter, one amphibious firefighting aircraft and 510 firefighters, including 150 additional personnel, were operating in the fire zone.
The Azerbaijani president suggested sending an additional 200 specially trained firefighters, thus increasing the number of firefighters from Azerbaijan to 710 people.
Erdogan thanked for this additional support and noted that this support was a clear manifestation of Azerbaijani-Turkish brotherhood and friendship.
During the conversation, President Aliyev briefed Erdogan on the provocations committed by Armenia on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and stressed that the Azerbaijani army was giving an adequate response to Armenian provocations.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey always stood by brotherly Azerbaijan.
During the conversation, the heads of state exchanged views on regional processes in the post-conflict period.
It should be noted that under President Ilham Aliyev’s instructions, Azerbaijani firefighters and rescuer teams have been actively involved in extinquishing fires that broke out in Turkey’s Mugla, Marmaris, Denizli and other regions.
On June 15, Azerbaijan and Turkey signed the Shusha Declaration on Allied Relations, during Erdogan’s first official visit to Shusha, Karabakh eight months after Azerbaijan’s victory in the war with Armenia in 2020. The document focuses on defence cooperation, promoting regional stability and prosperity, and establishing new transportation routes.
It affirms joint efforts by the two armies in the face of foreign threats. The declaration also pledges joint efforts for the restructuring and modernization of the armed forces. Moreover, the two nations affirm to encourage the execution of joint projects with the aim of developing capabilities in the field of sea, air, and space.
By Vafa İsmayilova
