Turkish and Azerbaijani fighter jets took off as part of a joint military exercise in Azerbaijan on Monday, the latter’s Defense Ministry reported Tuesday morning.
As per a military cooperation deal between the two countries, Ankara and Baku are holding an extensive drill designed to ensure the coordination of units during battle, improve their administration, share experience and enhance professionalism. The drill encompasses the Azerbaijani cities of Baku, Astara, Jabrayil and Imishli.
The troops, including land and air forces, special units, intelligence units, and missile and artillery units, are using Turkish F-16s and special-purpose fortification equipment for the exercise.
The exercise continued over Monday night into early Tuesday, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said, as the units destroyed the vehicles and personnel of the figurative enemy.
This week’s drill follows the flight-tactical training the countries conducted earlier this year in Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev noted the importance of the joint drill following a meeting with Türkiye’s Defense Minister Hulusi Akar in Baku, where the two called on Armenia to “respond to Türkiye and Azerbaijan’s calls for peace” over the Karabakh dispute.
Aliyev pledged that the two countries will “always stand side-by-side.”
Türkiye was a key backer of Azerbaijan during the 44-day Karabakh war between Baku and Yerevan, which erupted on Sept. 27, 2020, and ended with a Russian-brokered cease-fire on Nov. 10. During the faceoff that started in September 2020, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and 300 settlements and villages that were occupied by Armenia for nearly three decades. The peace agreement is celebrated as a triumph in Azerbaijan.
