Azerbaijan's president receives Turkish education minister

BAKU, Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev on Thursday received Turkey's national education minister in the capital Baku.

According to a statement from the Azerbaijani presidency, Aliyev in the meeting with Ziya Selcuk said that the relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan are developing rapidly in various sectors including education.

"Turkey’s experience is so important for us. Suggestions for increasing the quality of education, as well as for a closer connection between Turkish and Azerbaijani youth should be discussed," Aliyev said.

He said after the Karabakh War, a new era of reconstruction has begun in Azerbaijan.

"I will present to you a book on the destruction Armenia did in the lands liberated from their occupation. You will see what kind of destruction our land has been subjected to. Plans for those cities are now being prepared. The plans also include the construction of schools," he said.

"Part of the plan is to lay the foundation of the school proposed as a gift from Turkey during my brother Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Shusha," he added.

Shusha -- known as the pearl of Karabakh -- was liberated on Nov. 8, 2020. This led to the acceptance of defeat by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, as well as the cessation of hostilities between Baku and Yerevan.

He said that they have made serious reforms in the field of education in Azerbaijan.

"We have formed a strong alliance and future generations should take appropriate steps toward this alliance and brotherhood," he said.

Aliyev underlined that various activities such as youth forums and training programs should be organized to improve connection between the youth of the two countries.

Voicing his satisfaction at the cooperation between Turkey and Azerbaijan in vocational education, Aliyev said: "Today, Azerbaijan is on the brink of major development and training of new personnel is very important both in the liberated lands and throughout the country.

"For this reason, vocational schools should be established in the liberated lands in view of the potential of those regions. We hope for Turkey's support in this regard."

Aliyev added he wanted a chapter on the Karabakh War to be added in Turkish history books taught at school.

For his part, Selcuk congratulated Aliyev on the victory in Karabakh.

"We will do whatever is necessary for the development of education and future programs," Selcuk said.

"In this context, the protocol we have made regarding vocational education is currently being implemented," he added.

Selcuk also thanked Aliyev for his support to Turkey's fight against the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey.

Selcuk visited the grave of late President Heydar Aliyev to pay his respects.