The Azerbaijan Translation Centre at the Cabinet of Ministers (AzTC) on Thursday received a visit from the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Turkey to Azerbaijan, Alper Coskun, for a roundtable discussion with its Director Afag Masud.

After greeting the Turkish diplomat AzTC Director Masud highlighted the historical roots between the two countries, Azerbaijan’s historical memory of sociopolitical and national spiritual ties to Turkey, as well as the linguistic and cognitive affinities between the two peoples.  

“Everybody in Azerbaijan felt a love and longing for “Turkism”, “Turkey”, that had been banned even under strict ideological scrutiny in the Soviet Union,” beamed Masud. “I remember how my father – Masud Alioglu, a notable scientific critic in Azerbaijan, would sadly listen to new tape recordings of Turkish Classical Music he had extracted, recite poems by Yunis Emre, Fazil Hüsnü Dağlarcan, Nazim Hikmet. I’m afraid today’s young generation is unaware of the impervious obstacle, overall prohibitions against Turkey. I would not avoid their knowing about difficult periods of Turkey and Azerbaijan ties which may seem so simple today, and that the pillar of brotherhood between Azerbaijan and Turkey in a shared language and faith, in fact, is based on a deeper linkage - sacred love for Turkism soaked into the ancestral memory of the two peoples and Turkic proximity. So, the relationships, including sociopolitical and cultural ones, between our countries stem from this kinship and love.”

The Director went on to speak about the literary examples translated from Turkey’s literature published previously in dire financial straits as well as the two-volume “Modern Azerbaijan Literary Anthology”, translated into several languages: “Thanks to the great importance to language, literature and translation attached by our President Ilham Aliyev, we are capable of proving that Azerbaijan is a worthy literary place. The Anthology translated into Russian, Belarussian and Arabic will be published in Moscow and Minsk this year, and in Cairo next year. The book is being translated into Turkish, and talks are in progress how to publish and make its presentation in Istanbul. We also have plans to translate the Anthology into English, Spanish, French and German.”

Ismayıl Alper Coşkun, in turn, expressed satisfaction at how “Azerbaijanis love Turkey as much as their homeland,” adding that both countries have been showing their solidarity both in sorrow and joy.

The Ambassador also spoke about Azerbaijan-Turkey ties, the integration between the two Turkish-speaking nations. “Everybody in Turkey loved Azerbaijan even under Soviet rule. When Zeynab Khanlarova appeared in Turkey then, the audience used to applaud her with excitement. Nationwide leader Heydar Aliyev and Atatürk the Great have made immense contributions to these ties.” I do hail the work done by your Centre. We must build a stronger bridge to embrace Turkey-Azerbaijan literary exchanges in years into the future,” the Ambassador added.

At the end of the meeting, the ambassador was presented with books published by AzTC.

Gallery