Aliyev voiced solidarity with Erdogan

Baku/15.07.21/Turan: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has sent a message to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the prevention of coup d’état attempt.

Aliyev highly appreciated Erdogan's role in preventing the coup of a group of military personnel undertaken on July 15, 2015.

"The betrayal of the Turkish state was prevented only thanks to your great self-sacrifice and close unity of your fraternal people around you. That was a great victory and triumph of national unity and solidarity, resolute leadership and strong will to remain forever in the memory of the Turkish people," the message reads.

Aliyev pointed out that the Azerbaijani-Turkish relations have reached their peak and are striking example of friendship and brotherhood contributing to peace, security and cooperation.

"The Shusha Declaration we signed during your visit to the cultural capital of Azerbaijan - Shusha, is sure to raise our allied relations to a qualitatively new level and determine the further directions of our cooperation," he said.

The head of Azerbaijan voiced his confidence that "joint efforts will be continued to attain the goals aimed at further strengthening and developing the Azerbaijani-Turkish unity and brotherhood in accordance with the slogan "One nation, two states".

It is worth noting that Erdogan described a religious figure - Fethullah Gulen currently residing in the United States as a person responsible for the coup d’état attempt.

He described the failed coup d’état as the end of the era of coexistence of parallel states. It has to be kept in mind that the Turkish army has traditionally been the main component of parallel structures being, according to the constitution, outside the politics but in fact determined the course of Turkey's political life. Further complicating the case was the fact that an extensive religious network of Gulen had been shaped in the army.

It should be added that following the failed coup, thousands of supporters of religious preacher Gulen were dismissed or arrested. In Turkey, there were purges of Gulenists from state structures, mass media, education system, etc. A similar policy was carried out in Azerbaijan against Turkish structures associated with Gulen, operating in the education system, business, as well as among officials suspected of having links with Gulenists. -0-