Bahçeli: Azerbaijan and Türkiye are inseparable whatever the issue

MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli said Azerbaijan and Türkiye form an inseparable whole whatever the issue. He issued a message marking the 35th anniversary of Azerbaijan regaining its independence.

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli issued a written message marking the 35th anniversary of Azerbaijan’s “Independence Restoration Day,” celebrated on Oct. 18. “Azerbaijan and Türkiye, whatever the issue, are an inseparable whole. We are two sons of one mother of the same lineage. From eternity to eternity, our religion, our language, our love and our path are one. In our devotion and in our struggle, we are one,” Bahçeli said.

Recalling the Constitutional Act on the State Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan adopted on Oct. 18, 1991, Bahçeli congratulated Azerbaijan, which he said had proclaimed its sovereignty and freedom to the world anew, on its “Restoration of Independence Day” and said he congratulated it on the 35th anniversary “with my most sincere feelings.”

“A flag once raised will never fall”

The flags of Türkiye and Azerbaijan

Bahçeli stressed that the day is “not only the rebirth of a state, but also the expression of the noble stance of a nation that did not accept captivity and did not bow to it.” “With the Karabakh Victory of Sept. 27-Nov. 10, 2020, Azerbaijan gave new meaning and strength to its national independence,” he said, adding: “The phrase ‘A flag once raised will never fall!’ is the essence of the independence ideal of friendly and brotherly Azerbaijan.”

“The saying ‘Azerbaijan’s joy is our joy, its sorrow is our sorrow’ is a concrete expression of our feelings toward our friendly and brotherly country,” Bahçeli said, adding that these sentiments reflect a shared history and a common destiny.

“One nation, two states”: No turning back

“Türkiye and Azerbaijan, which stand in the cradle of a great civilization, have faced all difficulties with the same thinking and taken a common stance under the understanding of ‘one nation, two states.’ It is a certain reality that they will chart their future course with the same feelings and thoughts. There will be no turning back from this,” Bahçeli said. He ended the message by sending greetings and affection to “our brothers and friends.”

Message comes amid debate

Bahçeli’s message came at a time when headscarf rules in Azerbaijani schools have been a subject of debate in Türkiye. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in Baku last week that the two countries may at times take different approaches, but these should not be allowed to erode their strategic relationship.

On the same day, Türkiye’s Embassy in Baku denied reports in the Azerbaijani press claiming that Fidan held secret meetings during his visit to Baku, saying the reports were disinformation aimed at damaging relations between the two countries.

Bahçeli: Azerbaijan and Türkiye are inseparable whatever the issue

MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli said Azerbaijan and Türkiye form an inseparable whole whatever the issue. He issued a message marking the 35th anniversary of Azerbaijan regaining its independence.