Azerbaijani citizens evacuated from Ukraine thank Turkiye for help

By Gokhan Zobar

EDIRNE, Turkiye (AA) - Azerbaijani citizens who left Ukraine due to war have thanked Turkiye for its help in evacuation efforts.

Their evacuation from the war-torn country was arranged by the Turkish Foreign Ministry through buses.

Entering Turkiye from the border gate in the northwestern province of Edirne, Yashar Azizov said all necessary facilities were mobilized during the process. "We came with the vehicle provided by Turkiye. May Allah bless Turkiye," he told Anadolu Agency on Wednesday.

Agila Hanaliyeva, who arrived from Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv city with her daughter and son, said they had been "face-to-face with bombs" since the war began on Feb. 24.

Turkiye and Azerbaijan are "one nation, two states," she said, adding that they have always witnessed Turkiye's support in difficult times.

"We are thankful to Turkiye, it saved us. We had a very difficult time in the shelter ... rockets and bombs were being dropped (everywhere)," she said. "We are very happy to come to Turkiye. Turkiye embraced us. It brought us here from the battlefield."

Turkiye has also evacuated nearly 15,000 of its citizens from Ukraine, according to Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

The Russia-Ukraine war, which began on Feb. 24, has drawn international condemnation, led to severe financial sanctions on Moscow, and spurred an exodus of global firms from Russia. Overall, more than 3 million refugees have fled Ukraine, the UN said.

Ankara, which has good ties with both Moscow and Kyiv, continues its efforts without interruption for peace in Ukraine.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday he was sending Cavusoglu to Moscow and Kyiv this week as part of Turkiye's mediation efforts for a cease-fire.​​​​​​​

Last week, the Turkish resort city of Antalya hosted the first talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba since the start of the war.

*Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev in Ankara