From Abdullah Gul, eleventh President of the Republic of Turkey

His Excellency Mr Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Dear brother Mr Ilham Aliyev,

I would like to extend to you and your family the best of health and high spirits. I pray to Almighty Allah that the brotherly people of Azerbaijan, who have completed the month of Ramadan in peace and tranquility, would embrace more such festive celebrations.

It is with great pleasure that I welcomed the Azerbaijani people`s placing confidence in you and re-electing you as President in the election held this April. Along with expressing my belief that you will develop – with the same confidence and determination – the policy of our great leader Heydar Aliyev, which you have successfully continued so far, I extend my congratulations to you. I wish you would cope with the complicated issues, in particular the Karabakh problem, and also wish the continuation of Azerbaijan’s achievements as an independent, stable and prosperous country.

I will never forget the hospitality, kindness, and generosity that you showed to me and my entourage during my visit to Baku on April 11-12, 2017. I would like to extend my gratitude to you for showing interest in and supporting the educational issues that I told you about during my visit, in particular those relating to the university named after me in Kayseri, the city of my birth. As a small token of our appreciation, with great honor we named the dormitory where 375 students live after our great leader Heydar Aliyev. Students who take use of this dormitory will recognize and pay tribute to the great leader, the architect and founder of the modern independent Azerbaijan.

Taking this opportunity, once again I congratulate you and your dear wife Mehriban khanim on the occasion of the holidays.

My dear brother Mr Ilham Aliyev, I wish Your Excellency and the people of Azerbaijan happiness.

Best regards,

Abdullah Gul

Eleventh President of the Republic of Turkey