Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Azerbaijani Defense Minister Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov participated in the event dedicated to the 99th anniversary of the battles in Canakkale during World War I.

Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov arrived in Turkey on April 23 to participate in the event which was held on April 24, Defense Ministry reported.

The event took place in front of the Martyrs' Monument, located in the historical and national park in the Gallipoli peninsula.

The ceremony began with the march of soldiers with flags and in the uniforms of countries that participated in the battle of Canakkale, honoring the memory of fallen servicemen and laying wreaths at the monument.

This was followed by speeches of the military and diplomatic representatives of the various states.

The ceremony continued with the march of servicemen and the maneuver of military aircraft F-16 of Turkish Air Force.

At the end of the event, Hasanov together with representatives of other states wrote a note in the book of memory and visited the graves of Turkish martyrs.

Azerbaijani Defense Minister's visit will wrap up on April 25.

Azerbaijan-Turkey relations have always been strong due to a common culture and history and the mutual intelligibility of Turkish and Azerbaijani languages.

Turkey was the first country in the world to recognize Azerbaijan's independence in 1991 and has been a staunch supporter of Azerbaijan in its efforts to consolidate its independence, preserve its territorial integrity, and realize its economic potential that arise from the rich natural resources of the Caspian Sea.

The countries share a short 8km-border, with the Aras River separating Turkey from the Nakhchivan exclave.