His Excellency Mr Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of the Republic of Turkey

Dear Mr President,

Dear brother!

July 15 marks the first anniversary of the prevention of an attempted coup d'état to overthrow the legitimate government of the Republic of Turkey. The bloody events that took place that night, dedication of the Turkish people, who courageously defended the country's constitutional building and sacrificed their lives, are revered as a true example of heroism in Azerbaijan. Millions of citizens rose up to defend democracy and the rule of law on that day, once again proving that nobody can overcome the will of the people and that any attempt against statehood is doomed to failure.

As soon as I learned about the incident, I immediately expressed my support for the legitimate government of Turkey, unequivocally condemned the traitors, who attempted to infringe the country's constitutional building, and also gave appropriate instructions to members of the government of Azerbaijan in this regard.

I am confident that the courage of the citizens, who demonstrated the unshakable will to maintain the statehood, democratic values and the accomplishments made in all areas of public life under your leadership, and the memory of the martyrs will live in our hearts forever. It is your leadership, solidarity and dedication of the Turkish people that provided an impenetrable shield against the treacherous intentions and helped the Turkish state survive great dangers. By mobilizing the people, you have done a great job to develop your country and strengthen its influence among world states, and overcame the anti-national forces, who put their personal goals above the will of the people. Like all the citizens of brotherly Turkey, we are also happy for this. It is with immense pleasure that I recall our recent meeting with you at the World Petroleum Summit in Istanbul, and I believe that the discussions we held will have a significant impact on the strengthening of our future relationship.

Dear brother, may the martyrs of July 15 rest in peace. Once again I wish their relatives patience and the brotherly people of Turkey endurance, and express my solidarity with you on all crucial issues.

Sincerely,

Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, 14 July, 2017