Foreign Minister Feridun Sinirlioğlu paid an official visit to the Republic of Azerbaijan on 15-16 September 2015. Within the scope of his visit, Foreign Minister Sinirlioğlu was first received by İlham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Speaking after the meeting, Foreign Minister Sinirlioğlu expressed his pleasure for visiting Azerbaijan and underlined the unity and the progress achieved by our countries since Azerbaijan’s independence. Azerbaijani President Aliyev said that bilateral relations were discussed and the unity of the two countries was strongly reaffirmed in the meeting.

In the context of his Azerbaijan visit, Foreign Minister Sinirlioğlu visited the late Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev’s grave and laid a wreath at his tomb. Foreign Minister Sinirlioğlu then paid a visit to the Alley of Martrys where soldiers who embraced martyrdom on Black January are buried, the Eternal Flame Monument and Baku Turkish Martyrs’ Memorial. Foreign Minister Sinirlioğlu later met with his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Memmedyarov. Two Foreign Ministers first held a tete-a-tete meeting and then headed meetings with delegations.

Speaking at the joint press conference held following the meetings, Foreign Minister Sinirlioğlu stressed that brotherly and friendly relations and solidarity enjoyed by Turkey and Azerbaijan were always of exceptional level, and that two countries were bonded with their common history, culture and common fate.

At the press conference, Foreign Minister Sinirlioğlu also underlined that Azerbaijan and Turkey were two strategic partners and that Azerbaijan was essential in the region as a stability factor.

Stating that Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the ongoing occupation in the Azerbaijani territory were also discussed in the meeting, Foreign Minister Sinirlioğlu said that Turkey would continue to increase its efforts for a peaceful settlement of the conflict within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, which Turkey considered as clear violation of international law and the biggest threat to the regional stability.

Foreign Minister Sinirlioğlu also expressed our commitment to advance energy and transport projects to serve the entire region and beyond. Foreign Minister Sinirlioğlu added that we equate the security of the pipelines crossing Turkey such as Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) and Baku-Tbilisi- Ceyhan with that of Turkey.

Speaking at the joint press conference, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Memmedyarov said that a very fruitful meeting was held on the basis of “one nation two states” principle and that bilateral and regional issues were discussed in the meeting.

In the context of his Azerbaijan visit, Foreign Minister Sinirlioğlu was also received by Oktay Esedov, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Artur Rasilzade, Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan.