BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 22. The Victory Party
has expressed serious dissatisfaction and concern over a campaign
against Azerbaijan being conducted by certain political circles in
Türkiye.


According to the New Azerbaijan Party (YAP), a meeting was held
on October 24 at YAP’s Central Office at the initiative of
Türkiye’s Victory Party. The meeting brought together Tahir
Budagov, Deputy Chairman of YAP and Head of its Central Office, and
Hakki Shafak Ses, an adviser to the Chairman of the Victory
Party.


Conveying greetings from the party’s chairman, Ümit Özdağ, Hakki
Shafak Ses said that the Victory Party was interested in
establishing ties with the New Azerbaijan Party. He also requested
that a delegation representing his party visit Baku to explore the
possibility of discussing these issues.


He noted that the campaign against Azerbaijan conducted by
certain political circles in Türkiye in recent times had caused
serious dissatisfaction and concern within the Victory Party. The
adviser stressed that party chairman Ümit Özdağ had made his
position clear from the outset and firmly opposed such actions,
unequivocally stating in all his public speeches that no force had
the right to interfere in Azerbaijan’s internal affairs.


“Azerbaijan, as an independent and secular state, is free to
make its own decisions, and any attempts to interfere in its
internal affairs are entirely unacceptable,” he said.


Referring to the statement issued by the Press Service of the
New Azerbaijan Party on the matter, Hakki Shafak Ses emphasized
that YAP’s just position was also supported by Turkish society. He
noted that the biased approach of the 31 individuals declared
persona non grata by Azerbaijan and banned from entering the
country did not reflect the position of the Turkish people.


“Recent events have once again confirmed that the Turkish people
respect Azerbaijan’s independent and principled policy, which is
based on national interests, friendship and brotherhood. All
negative developments that undermine unity between Türkiye and
Azerbaijan must be unequivocally prevented. The Victory Party’s
position is that concrete legal measures should be taken against
individuals conducting anti-Azerbaijani propaganda in Türkiye,” the
adviser added.


Tahir Budagov, Deputy Chairman of YAP and Head of its Central
Office, thanked him for conveying the greetings and asked him to
convey his own greetings to Ümit Özdağ.


Stressing that defamatory and slanderous propaganda against
Azerbaijan by certain political circles in Türkiye, including
individuals holding senior government positions and representing
Türkiye’s ruling party, was deeply regrettable, Tahir Budagov
expressed his gratitude to the Victory Party and its chairman for
their unequivocal support for Azerbaijan’s just position.


Recalling that, amid complex geopolitical developments,
Azerbaijan was making a significant contribution to strengthening
solidarity and cooperation in the Turkic world, as well as
reinforcing the position of the Organization of Turkic States in
the contemporary system of international relations, Tahir Budagov
emphasized that the current situation was unacceptable, as it also
undermined this process.


“Azerbaijan–Türkiye relations have faced certain difficulties at
various times, but thanks to the will of our peoples, they have
honourably overcome these trials and grown even stronger. Today,
any attempt to exert pressure on our country’s independent policy,
which is based on the principle of secularism, is unacceptable, and
it is impossible to force Azerbaijan to abandon this path,” he
said.


The meeting also addressed prospects for further cooperation
between the New Azerbaijan Party and the Victory Party.