Azerbaijani-Turkish joint military drills to be held in May

In accordance with the agreement on military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey, "Mustafa Kemal Ataturk - 2019" Azerbaijani-Turkish joint tactical live-fire exercises will be held in Azerbaijan on May 1-3, 2019, Olaylar reports with reference to Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry.

A solemn welcoming ceremony was held for the military personnel of the Turkish Armed Forces who arrived in Azerbaijan to participate in the exercises.

At first, the ceremony participants laid flowers to the bust of national leader Heydar Aliyev at the territory of the military unit. They paid tribute to the memory of the Great Leader and the martyrs who died in the struggle for independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan by observing a minute of silence.

The main objective of the exercises is to achieve coordination of interoperability between the military units of Azerbaijan and Turkey by preparing joint headquarterschr("39") plans, increasing the level of combat readiness of military personnel and developing their skills in conducting joint operations. The exercises also aim at maintaining relations and mutual understanding of the servicemen of the two countries at a high level.

The joint exercises will involve military personnel, armored vehicles, artillery mounts and mortars, combat and transport helicopters of the Air Force, and Air Defense and Anti-Aircraft Missile units of the armies of the two countries.

During the preparatory period, it is planned to hold a number of cultural events for the Turkish servicemen.