Congress of Turkish-speaking Countries and Communities held in Antalya

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the Congress organized by the Friendship, Brotherhood, Cooperation of Turkish-speaking Countries and Communities (TUDEV) and Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA).

The heads of state commemorated memory of the Great Turks Ahmed Yasevi, Ertogrul Gazi, Alishir Navai, Ataturk, Heydar Aliyev and other outstanding personalities.

Chairman of TUDEV Abdulhalik Chay welcomed the participants, noting the Congress is convened after five years. The First Congress passed in Istanbul in 1993, which aimed to take part jointly in new projects, achieve cultural, scientific, economic unity, he stated. The orator spoke of the alterations happened in past years, the progress, and the problems the ancient Turkic nations encounter, their role in world, the importance of expansion of the relations among the nations with common culture, language.

Then, Turkey's State Minister Bashir Atalay informed on Congress participants from Azerbaijan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Northern Cyprus, the Crimea, Abkhazia, Tuva, Gagauzia, Altay, Chuvashia and Kabarda-Balkar, as well as representatives from the USA, France, Germany and other countries. The Congress of Turkish speaking peoples will pass once a 2-year in numerous countries, the State Minister underlined.

Earlier, the Congress was considered to be held in Turkey only.

After the congratulatory letter of Chairman of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (GNAT) Bulent Arinc was read out, Premier of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan took the floor, who spoke of rich natural resources and human capital of the Turkic world, noting it plays important role for future of the mankind.

The Premier of Turkey stressed necessity of cohesion of the Turkic world, reminding saying by nationwide leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev "one nation, two states."

Noting that his country attaches special importance to the relations with Azerbaijan, Mr. Erdogan reminded his regular meetings with President Ilham Aliyev. He thanked to President of Azerbaijan for contribution to development of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Main Export Pipeline.

The Prime Minister also dwelt on a number of questions related to unity of the Turkic world, underlining necessity of joint activity to solve the Cyprus and Nagorno Karabakh problems.

The leader of Cyprus Mehmet Ali Telet spoke of the importance of dialogue between cultures, religions and races, and the prevention of dirty propaganda against the Turkic world. He thanked President of Azerbaijan for support and opening of the first flight to Cyprus.

The Congress will resume its work on September 19.

/AzerTAg/