Turkey and Azerbaijan begin joint live fire military drills

Armradio – Turkey and Azerbaijan began joint military drills in Baku on Monday, deploying tanks, helicopters and drones in an effort to improve the two countries’ combat interoperability, Azerbaijan’s defense ministry said in a statement.

Photographs released by the Azerbaijani defense ministry showed a column of armored personnel carriers and tanks from the two countries advancing on flat arid terrain, Reuters reports.

“The main purpose of the exercises is to improve interaction between the two countries’ army units during combat operations, to develop the commanders’ military decision-making skills and their ability to manage military units,” the Azeri defense ministry said.

The drills, named “Mustafa Kemal Ataturk – 2021,” will last until Wednesday, involving up to 600 personnel, around 40 tanks and armored vehicles, and seven helicopters.

Last year Ankara supported Baku, as the latter unleashed large-scale military aggression against Artsakh on September 27. The two countries earlier this month agreed to increase cooperation in the military sphere.