Int'l drills also joined by Azerbaijan kick off in Turkey

By Azernews

By Vafa Ismayilova

The Anatolian Eagle - 2021 international flight tactical drills have begun with the participation of Azerbaijan, Qatar, Pakistan, and NATO, the Turkish National Defence Ministry reported on June 22.

The exercises are aimed at sharing knowledge, skills, and experience.

At the initial stage of the exercises, the crew of the Azerbaijani Air Force, having penetrated into the airspace of a mock enemy, successfully completed the tasks of destroying ground targets.

The drills, which take place in Turkey's Konya, will last until July 3.

Earlier, the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry reported that the country's two MiG-29 fighters and two Su-25 attack aircraft are involved in the drills.

In late May-early June, a group of Azerbaijani servicemen took part in the Anatolian Phoenix-2021 exercises in Konya. Servicemen from different countries joined the drills held at an airbase in Konya.

On June 3, Azerbaijan and Turkey held a high-level military dialogue to discuss the current state of bilateral cooperation in the security, military, military-technical, military-medical, military-educational, defence industry, and other spheres.

Military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey 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 defence cooperation.

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.