Co-organised by the Türkiye Press Federation, the Yeni Çağ Media Group, and the Azerbaijan-Türkiye House, with the support of Türkiye’s Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities, the "Türkiye-Azerbaijan Brotherhood Forum" was held in Baku.
The event began with the performance of the national anthems of Azerbaijan and Türkiye, followed by a moment of silence to honour the memory of martyrs who gave their lives for the homeland, according to AZERTAC.
In his opening remarks, Sinan Burhan, the President of the Türkiye Press Federation, highlighted the brotherly relations between Azerbaijan and Türkiye, emphasised that this forum, which brought together intellectuals from both countries, would help elevate media cooperation to a new level, and said, "This forum reflects how growing relations between Azerbaijan and Türkiye across all sectors are also strengthening media ties. Today, we will examine the current state of the media in both countries and discuss the future and shortcomings of the relationships between our press organisations. I hope that your contributions will help the forum achieve its goals."
In his remarks, Agil Alesger, the Head of the Yeni Çağ Media Group, a member of the Turkish Internet Media Association (TİMBİR) Board of Directors, and a member of the Press Council Board of Directors, emphasised the importance of the forum's timing in relation to the anniversary of the coup attempt in the brotherly nation. He went on to say, "This attempt was viewed as a coup against democracy in the Azerbaijani media from the outset. Attention was drawn to the wounds caused by military coups in Turkish history, and the reasons for them were revealed to the public."
Birol Akgün, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan, and MPs Tanzila Rustamkhanli and Sabina Salmanova noted that bilateral relations expanded significantly in recent years and the crucial role of both presidents in bringing ties to their highest level of development. Speakers emphasised the remarkable progress in Azerbaijan-Türkiye relations.
Following the speeches, the forum continued with panel discussions on topics such as "July 15" and "Media and Brotherhood."
Representatives of media organisations from Azerbaijan and Türkiye exchanged views on how the coup attempt in Türkiye was covered by the media and how the Azerbaijani press responded to the incident. Participants also discussed existing media cooperation between the two countries and voiced proposals to further enhance collaboration.
The forum concluded with a general evaluation and presentation of the proposals.