President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, former Foreign Minister of Türkiye, member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, and the head of the delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.
The head of state underlined that Azerbaijan holds Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in high esteem for standing by the country throughout the years, adding that the people of Azerbaijan highly appreciate that. President Ilham Aliyev highlighted that during the Second Karabakh War, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu made important statements regularly. “You raised Türkiye's voice to the whole world, stating that Azerbaijan is not alone, and Türkiye stands by its side. These declarations played a pivotal role in countering external forces that sought to interfere in Azerbaijan's affairs.”
The President emphasized the crucial importance of further strengthening the Azerbaijan-Türkiye alliance today, particularly in light of the prevailing global processes, notably those unfolding in the South Caucasus, which are heading in a very perilous direction. The head of state said, “Azerbaijan rightfully voices concern regarding these developments. Consequently, the designs formulated for the South Caucasus harbor the potential to precipitate a substantial catastrophe in the times ahead.”
The President of Azerbaijan reiterated that the liberation of Karabakh from occupation, particularly the anti-terrorism operation conducted in September of last year, unsettled certain forces, "I have consistently stated, and still affirm, that we are on the right path; we have liberated our ancestral lands through military action in full compliance with international law," emphasized President Ilham Aliyev, underscoring that pressures on Azerbaijan have endured since then. “The European Parliament has passed resolutions that are both insulting and derogatory, while the PACE has revoked our delegation’s voting rights. These actions carry the potential for highly adverse consequences, and the sole rationale behind them is the liberation of Karabakh from occupation.”
Regarding the scheduled trilateral meeting between the United States, European Union, and Armenia in Brussels today, the President expressed concern, stating that this event presents another source of danger for the South Caucasus. Despite recent attempts by high-ranking officials from both the United States and the European Union to provide assurances, during phone conversations initiated by them, that this meeting is not directed against Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that "we interpret this as being against Azerbaijan and cooperation in the South Caucasus. Its aim appears to be the establishment of divisive lines and the isolation of our country."
The head of state reiterated that the statements issued by the European Parliament and the Council of Europe against Azerbaijan since September of last year until the present, along with the endeavors to establish Armenia as a militarized outpost in the South Caucasus, will result in significantly greater harm in the future. "Consequently, we have issued statements to caution our partners in the United States and Europe regarding this matter."
Saying that the geopolitical situation has changed, President Ilham Aliyev underscored the imperative for the Azerbaijan-Türkiye alliance to remain strong as it has always been, and expressed confidence that the aspirations of those aiming to undermine this alliance would ultimately be futile.
Expressing gratitude for the kind words, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu conveyed the greetings of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to the head of state.
President Ilham Aliyev expressed his gratitude for the greetings and asked Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu to communicate his greetings to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu expressed, as always, the profound joy they felt upon visiting their native Azerbaijan. He congratulated Ilham Aliyev on his resounding victory in the presidential election, describing it as a testament to the deep trust placed by the Azerbaijani people in their leader, particularly as the Commander-in-Chief who secured Victory in Karabakh.
Noting that the President of Azerbaijan referred to the Turkish world as “our family” in his speech during the inauguration ceremony, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu pointed out that the valuable ideas articulated by the head of state regarding the unity of the Turkic world were warmly received across Turkic world. Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu emphasized: "You are a prominent leader on the global stage, and your efforts to bolster the Turkic world are evident to the entire Turkic world."
President Ilham Aliyev noted that indeed the Turkic world is “our family” and emphasized the need to work in this direction.
Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said that there are forces unable to reconcile with Azerbaijan's Karabakh Victory, and they are aiming to advance their policies accordingly.
