Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin paid a visit to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, for official talks. As part of the visit, his first stop was the Turkish Embassy in Baku, where he was received by Türkiye's Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Birol Akgün.

 

Minister Tekin later attended the inauguration of the Ahmedli Campus of the Baku Turkish Anatolian High School. In his speech, he emphasized that while many sectors play a role in fostering friendly relations between countries, education holds a particularly important place.

 

Minister Tekin stated that this is a very important step in passing on the spirit of brotherhood through schools. He said, "Through education, you can transform shared moments into friendship and brotherhood, and you can also create a set of values to share with your children that will reflect this spirit of brotherhood to future generations. Therefore, the work we will carry out with the schools we are inaugurating is indeed a crucial step in conveying this spirit of brotherhood to the next generations."

 

Minister Tekin stated that the digital age has, compared to the past, degenerated friendly relations. He said:

 

"As Ministers of Education, our duty is to pass on this valuable legacy to future generations, because we truly possess a remarkable heritage. The friendship that began with the words of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of our Republic -"Azerbaijan's joy is our joy; its sorrow is our sorrow"- continued with Haydar Aliyev and today is upheld by our esteemed President Aliyev. Likewise, on the side of the Republic of Türkiye, this relationship, which particularly since the late 1980s was kept on the agenda by the late President Turgut Özal and continued with President Süleyman Demirel, has now reached a very sensitive point under our esteemed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. It is our responsibility to ensure that this friendship is transmitted to future generations, to our children and grandchildren... and to make certain that the obligations of this friendship are duly fulfilled.

 

We may have internalized the motto of 'One Nation, Two States,' and we may feel happiness about it. However, our duty is to ensure that this happiness is preserved as a value for future generations-our children and grandchildren. The school we are inaugurating today will make a significant contribution to this friendship. In the current era, education has reached a very different point in the world. As in every field, rapid changes and transformations are taking place in education. To keep up with these developments and not fall behind, it is important for the two countries to share their achievements and progress in education, both for the sake of these relations and to remain aligned with the times.

 

Minister Yusuf Tekin, addressing the Century of Türkiye Education Model, highlighted the reflection of relations with the Turkic world in the curricula and the importance given to Azerbaijan. He stated:

 

"As the Republic of Türkiye, we must share the progress we have made in recent years in education with Azerbaijan, a brotherly country; reflect Azerbaijan's accumulated knowledge in our own country; and fulfill whatever responsibilities this entails. As an example, last year we revised educational programs and curricula at the K-12 level, from preschool through the end of compulsory education, that is, the end of 12th grade. In this revision process, we established six commissions to review the curricula within the framework I mentioned earlier. One of the main topics of these commissions was how our relations with friendly and brotherly countries, including the Turkic world, would be reflected in the curricula. As part of this, we have now started using the term 'Turkestan' instead of 'Central Asia' in our school curricula. We want our children to be knowledgeable about all Turkic Republics, especially regarding Azerbaijan..."

 

Minister Tekin, noting that the newly inaugurated school was quickly made ready for education and training, concluded his remarks:

 

"I would like to express my special thanks, here in your presence, to Mr. Emin Amrullayev and Mr. Prime Minister for their support during the rapid establishment and opening of this school. Thanks to their efforts, together with the encouragement of our Presidents, this school was prepared for education and training in a very short time. I hope our school will serve as a source of blessings. I thank everyone who contributed to this process. I also extend my gratitude in advance to our teachers who will support the education and training processes and implement these policies within the framework I have mentioned."

 

Azerbaijan's Minister of Science and Education, Emin Amrullayev, in his speech, emphasized the brotherhood between Türkiye and Azerbaijan, stating:

 

"This friendship is not for a day or five days; it is a strong bond that comes from centuries of shared roots and common history. We study the past so that it may cast light on the future. Future generations will preserve this friendship and brotherhood, further strengthening it." Highlighting the exemplary nature of bilateral cooperation, particularly in the field of education, the Minister noted that since the 1990s, the education received by thousands of Azerbaijani youth in Türkiye has made significant contributions to the country's development.

 

Minister Amrullayev, expressing his gratitude to Minister Tekin, stated that the Azerbaijani school, which will soon open in İstanbul, will be the first Azerbaijani school established abroad, and that they are very pleased it is taking place in brotherly Türkiye. He emphasized that, thanks to vocational education projects carried out in cooperation with Türkiye, two Azerbaijani vocational schools will be jointly managed, and their graduates' diplomas will also be recognized in Türkiye. The Minister added, "Such initiatives are not merely about projects and buildings; their true strength lies in the relationships between people and the values imparted through education. The foremost mission of schools is to nurture good individuals."

 

Following the speeches, Minister Tekin and Minister Amrullayev planted a commemorative sapling in the schoolyard, and the school was officially inaugurated with the cutting of the ribbon.

 

The classrooms were also visited. Following his visit, Minister Tekin remarked, "There is a similar demand for our Azerbaijani children and youth in Türkiye, and, Inshallah, we will establish a similar school together in İstanbul." He added that the two countries will also turn to new areas of cooperation, stating, "We will mutually sign a protocol regarding cooperation in the field of vocational and technical education."

 

The ceremony was also attended by Ambassador Birol Akgün; Ercan Türk, President for Strategy Development; Ünal Eryılmaz, Director General for European Union and Foreign Relations; Halil İbrahim Topçu, Director General for Secondary Education; Ömür Fatih Karakullukçu, Director General for Support Services; Özcan Duman, Director General for Construction and Real Estate; and Baku Education Counselor Yurdagül Aydoğan.