Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev hailed strong relations with Türkiye, saying that the unity of the two countries is crucial not only for the region but for Eurasia.

Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev said on Monday that President Ersin Tatar will attend an upcoming summit of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) in his country.

Aliyev was speaking at a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on the occasion of his first overseas visit since winning re-election to his country’s presidency in a landslide victory on February 7.

Speaking at a joint news conference with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Aliyev also said the unification of the Turkic world and the coexistence of peoples with common cultures would strengthen each member of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).

He said he plans to hold an unofficial summit of the OTS in July in the town of Shusha, a town in the Karabakh region which was recaptured by Azerbaijan from Armenian forces last year.

“The president of the TRNC will attend the summit to be held in Shusha upon my invitation. This will accelerate the unity of the Turkic people,” he said.

“The unification of the Turkic world and the coexistence of peoples with common cultures will strengthen the power of each OTS member.”

For his part, Erdoğan said Türkiye will continue to work to get Azerbaijan’s credentials at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe validated.

“We will continue our support and efforts for Azerbaijan until the decision (not ratifying their credentials) is overturned,” the president said.

Last month, PACE voted to deny validation to the credentials of the Azerbaijani delegation to the body, alleging that it has not fulfilled major commitments under its Council of Europe membership.

Erdoğan also said that with the end of Armenia’s nearly 30-year occupation of Karabakh, a historic window of opportunity opened for lasting peace in the region, adding that it is “crucial” that this window does not close.

On trade ties, Erdoğan said: “The total Turkish-Azerbaijani trade volume last year reached $7.5 billion for the first time. We will step up our efforts to achieve a $15 billion target,” Erdoğan added.

Erdoğan on Monday welcomed Aliyev in the capital Ankara to discuss all aspects of bilateral relations, as well as steps to further cooperation between the two countries.

Aliyev’s visit to Ankara is his first trip abroad since being re-elected earlier this month.