Azerbaijani servicemen off to take part in joint drills with Turkiye [VIDEO]

A group of Azerbaijan’s Combined Arms Army military personnel was sent to Türkiye to participate in the "Heydar Aliyev-2023" joint live-fire tactical drills dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev, Azernews reports per Defense Ministry.

The ceremony was held on the occasion of the departure of the military personnel and equipment involved in the drills to be held in Kars.

After the performance of Azerbaijan’s National Anthem, Deputy Commander of the Combined Arms Army, Maj-Gen Rahim Jafarov spoke about the unshakable brotherhood between the two countries and the importance of conducting the joint drills.

Besides, it was noted that the main purpose of the drills is to ensure the interoperability between the troops during the battle, improve management, exchange of experience, and increase the professionalism of the servicemen.

After the speeches, the units involved in the drills left the city of Nakhchivan towards the Sadarak border checkpoint. The units crossing the Umid Bridge over the Araz river carried on in the direction of Kars.

Azerbaijan and Turkiye periodically hold joint drills to improve interaction and communication between their army units.

Military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkiye first emerged in 1992, with an agreement signed between the Azerbaijani and Turkish governments on military education and weapon equipment and deals to help strengthen the bond between the two nations.

On June 15, the two countries signed a memorandum of alliance that cemented the existing military, political and economic cooperation.

The Shusha Declaration on Allied Relations that President Ilham Aliyev and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed during the first official visit to Shusha eight months after Azerbaijan’s victory in the war with Armenia, also focuses on defense cooperation.