YTB Brings Together Türkiye Alumni from Azerbaijan in Baku

Organized in cooperation with the Platform of Academics and Businesspeople Graduated from Türkiye, the event took place in Baku with broad participation. The program was attended by YTB President Abdulhadi Turus, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Baku Birol Akgün, representatives of Turkish institutions and organizations in Baku, as well as many Azerbaijani alumni who studied in Türkiye.

The event began with the commemoration of martyrs who sacrificed their lives for their homeland and of late state leaders. Following a moment of silence and the recitation of the Turkish National Anthem and the Azerbaijani National Anthem, the program continued with speeches.

In his speech, YTB President Abdulhadi Turus emphasized the strong ties that Azerbaijani youth have built with Türkiye, noting that 125,000 Azerbaijani students have studied in Türkiye to date. Turus said, “Since 1992, approximately 6,500 of our young people have received education through Türkiye Scholarships. In 2025 alone, we received more than 2,000 applications. These numbers are not mere statistics; they are symbols of our brotherhood.”

Highlighting their goal to strengthen cooperation with Türkiye alumni in all fields, Turus stated that joint efforts would continue in economic, social, commercial, cultural, and scientific areas. “In our work focused on our geography of the heart, dear Azerbaijan holds a very special place for us. We always keep the goal of preserving our common culture at the center,” he said.

Türkiye’s Ambassador to Baku, Birol Akgün, also noted that Azerbaijani alumni who studied in Türkiye significantly contribute to strengthening the historical and cultural ties between the two countries. Akgün stated that the alumni play active roles in a wide range of fields—from public institutions to the private sector, from academia to cultural initiatives—and described them as “virtually volunteer ambassadors.” He added, “The achievements of Türkiye alumni are a source of pride for us. Türkiye will always stand by you.”

Telman Nusretoğlu, President of the Platform of Academics and Businesspeople Graduated from Türkiye and a lecturer at Khazar University, stated that Türkiye alumni have made significant contributions to Azerbaijan’s scientific, educational, and business sectors. Nusretoğlu emphasized that alumni form a strong bridge between the two countries and expressed their goal of further expanding the Türkiye–Azerbaijan alumni network.