Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan made a statement to journalists in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, where he came to attend the 7th Summit of the Conference on Cooperation and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).
Stating that Turkey-Azerbaijan relations have passed through various historical tests and are based on solid strategic foundations, Fidan said, "The principle of two states, one nation shows itself in all areas. There is an unshakable bond of friendship and brotherhood between our leaders. This bond is a bond that has been tested in very difficult times, in times of war and crisis." he said.
Stating that there may be different approaches on some issues from time to time, Fidan emphasized that these should not be abused and allowed to erode the strategic relations between the two countries.
Minister Fidan pointed out the importance of the unshakable ties and brotherly relations between the two countries and said, "The strategic solidarity demonstrated by the two countries today is closely followed by the international community." he said.
Noting that the relations between Türkiye and Azerbaijan will continue to be decisive in the future as they were in the past, Fidan stated that attitudes that will erode these relations should be avoided.
Stating that the Turkish and Azerbaijani public opinions are now integrated and that the two societies mutually influence each other with the spread of social media and communication channels, Fidan said that there is an intense interaction in cultural, political, social and financial fields.
Emphasizing that the leadership of both countries showed sensitivity on this issue, Fidan stated that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan conveyed his instructions and directives to him before his visit to Baku.
Noting that there may be different approaches and perspectives on some issues, Fidan said that these can be discussed between the two countries in accordance with the law of brotherhood.
Fidan said, "We are an ancient nation. We sit down and talk about our own problems in a civilized manner, in a way that befits this ancient past and suits us." he said.
Emphasizing that there is no need to turn different opinions into a propaganda tool on social media, Fidan stated that they made evaluations in this context during their meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
Fidan stated that they listened to Aliyev's opinion and perspective, and that the unshakable bond between the two leaders will continue to exist in the strongest way.
Noting that efforts are being made on both sides to prevent the issue from being exploited and to prevent new obstacles to the brotherhood between the two countries, Fidan said that all parties should show sensitivity on this issue.
“Türkiye IS MAKING INTENSIVE EFFORTS TO KEEP THE BLACK SEA OUT OF THE WAR”
Referring to the Russia-Ukraine War, Fidan stated that Türkiye's position is to stop the war.
Stating that they are making intense efforts on this issue, Fidan noted that they are continuing their efforts to at least keep the Black Sea out of the war, since the war cannot be stopped completely.
Stating that they also discussed the issue with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Fidan stated that they listened to the views of the Russian side and that they had previously been in contact on this issue.
Fidan stated that they forwarded an offer prepared by Türkiye to both the Ukrainian and Russian sides, listened to the parties' attitudes regarding the offer, and worked on how the problem could be resolved in a more constructive way.
Emphasizing that navigation safety in the Black Sea is extremely important, Fidan pointed out that the situation in the region closely affects the world food markets.
Fidan pointed out that wheat trade, especially to African countries, is at risk and there is an increase in food and energy prices.
Minister Fidan stated that the restriction of trade in the Black Sea has serious negative consequences, and noted that these problems put the world economy, especially the developing countries, in an even more difficult situation at a time when the Strait of Hormuz is closed and there are restrictions in the Babülmandep Strait from time to time.
Emphasizing that Türkiye is doing its best to solve the problem, Fidan added that efforts to ensure navigation safety in the Black Sea continue.
