AZERBAIJAN

Azerbaijan has always been generous to the Marmara Group Foundation. The State of Azerbaijan, which awarded Dr Akkan Suver an honorary doctorate degree, also awarded him the ‘Terakki Medal’ and the ‘Dostluq Orden’. The State of Azerbaijan, which also gave both the Terakki Medal and the ‘Dostluq Orden’ to Şamil Ayrım, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Marmara Group Foundation, ensured the publication of three separate books by Dr Akkan Suver in Azerbaijani language. The Ministry of Transport of Azerbaijan also made a gesture to the Marmara Group Foundation by issuing a special stamp at the 18^th Eurasian Economic Summit.

Marmara Group Foundation has a special place in the civil society side of Türkiye-Azerbaijan relations in which excellent co-operation is successfully realized in every field. This co-operation stems from our deep-rooted brotherly relations. As the Marmara Group Foundation, we take care to keep these relations at the level they deserve.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan's progress in the international arena is admirable.

As a respected member of the international community, Azerbaijan is seen as a favorite investment destination in business and economic circles due to its rich natural resources and economic potential.

In our youth, Paris was referred to as ‘ville de lumière - city of light’. I think that after a while, foreigners will apply this title to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Baku, which until yesterday was called the city of winds in the country of fire, is now the city of light.

The efforts spent on the development of the city for years have brought us face to face with an atmosphere no different from any other European city. When we add to this beautiful and pleasant atmosphere the houses restored faithfully to the past, the artistic structures bearing the traces of unique architectural examples, each of which has a different meaning, a city of lights really emerges.

In the meantime, the shops equipped with the world's leading brands add vitality to Baku as a natural part of daily life to make Paris, London and Milan jealous. Baku has become a city that embraces the unattainable with the Haydar Aliyev Cultural Centre, the immortal work of the world-famous late architect Zaha Hadid inspired by the waves of the Caspian Sea, buildings adorned with the most beautiful examples of modern architecture called flame towers, Formula 1 races and stadiums that instill youth in the city,

Nowadays, we are witnessing that the outskirts of the city are also being overhauled. The bad houses of the communist era, which were removed as a result of massive expropriations, are being replaced by new living spaces, wide boulevards and green areas. As much as it is a city of lights, Baku is also a city of greenery. If the iodine of the Caspian Sea can be inhaled in the depths of Baku with its large parks, walking areas on the beach and squares decorated with large tree-lined pools, this is a sign of the new facet given to the city.

We also call Azerbaijan ‘Can Azerbaijan’. This has a historical root.

In the early days of the War of Independence, Mustafa Kemal Pasha wrote a letter to Kazım Karabekir Pasha, the commander of the Eastern Front, saying, ‘The state has no money. There are also no internal resources. I suggest you borrow money from the Azerbaijani government until you have access to new resources.’

Karabekir Pasha conveyed this to the Azerbaijani government. This was the first official contact between Ankara and the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. Neriman Nerimanov first sent 500 kilos of gold to Türkiye and then 10 million gold rubles from Russia to Ankara. Mustafa Kemal Pasha then sent a letter saying ‘we will pay back as soon as the war is over’. When Neriman Nerimanov received this, she also wrote a letter to Ankara. ‘Dear Pasha, we Turks do not lend money to our brothers. Brothers always help each other. We are brothers and we will continue to hold your hand, ‘he said.

That is why we call Azerbaijan ‘Can Azerbaijan’. Now we have an important task. We think that we should not call the SOCAR project a foreign investment. It would be more logical if we call it the largest project invested by our brother in our country. We once again remember Haydar Aliyev for his words ‘One Nation-Two States’ and ‘I am connecting Azerbaijan and Türkiye with thick chains in the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline’.

For many years, the biggest problem facing brotherly Azerbaijan at both regional and international level was undoubtedly the occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Azerbaijani lands, which had been usurped by the Armenian state for many years, had not been returned to Azerbaijan despite numerous international resolutions and warnings. Not only that, Armenia had violated the border countless times whenever it felt like it and dared to fire bullets and bombs at civilian settlements in Azerbaijani territory.

Armenia, which refused to accept the right granted to Azerbaijan on the table, increased its audacity even more in the summer months of 2020 and resorted to bomb attacks against civilians.

The Azerbaijani State, which showed patience until the last minute, finally gave the necessary response to the occupying Armenia through its Armed Forces and brought Armenia to its knees.

This bringing Armenia to its knees was done in justice. Azerbaijan, which first gave permission to Armenia to withdraw from the occupied territories and then gave a deadline to Armenia to withdraw from the occupied territories upon request, also showed the dignity of respecting the measures of mercy and reason.

During the course of these events, Türkiye completely sided with Azerbaijan. In other words, it was with Azerbaijan through and through.

As the Marmara Group Foundation, we have stood by Azerbaijan, its glorious army and President Ilham Aliyev, who has shown an exemplary stance with his diplomacy and statesmanship since the first day, and our Azerbaijani brothers and sisters who have maintained their unity like a fist from yesterday to today, with our civil society identity as the Marmara Group Foundation and we continue to stand by them.