Turkey's Diyanet Foundation sends aid to Azerbaijan

By Ruslan Rehimov

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AA) – Six truckloads of aid by Turkey's Diyanet Foundation reached Azerbaijan on Friday.

The aid contains food, medical equipment and toys. It will be distributed to Azerbaijani civilians who were displaced in recent border clashes with Armenia.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Ali Erbas, head of Turkey's Religious Affairs Directorate, congratulated Azerbaijan on its victory.

Underlining that Azerbaijan and Turkey are two states but one nation, Erbas said Turkey will continue supporting the people of Azerbaijan in their hour of need.

"During the war, we prayed for Azerbaijan and for the victory of its army. Last Friday, we commemorated our [Azerbaijani] martyrs across 90,000 mosques in Turkey," he noted.

Erbas added that they will continue restoration and re-building of mosques in the territories which were liberated from Armenian occupation.

Relations between the former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

When new clashes erupted in late September, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages from the Armenian occupation.

The two countries signed a Russian-brokered agreement on Nov. 10 to end fighting and work toward a comprehensive resolution.

The truce is seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia, whose armed forces have been withdrawing in line with the agreement.

* Writing Ahmet Gencturk