Category: Azer News

Rising prices for gasoline, diesel and airline tickets in the UK in August pushed inflation to its highest level in five months.

Annual inflation increased to 3.1 percent in August, up from 2.9 percent in July. One of the main factors behind the rise was a sharp increase in fuel prices. The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has affected global oil supplies and contributed to higher energy costs. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), gasoline prices reached their highest level in almost four years, while diesel prices also increased significantly.

Overall, motor fuel prices were around 23 percent higher than in August last year. The average price of gasoline in the UK rose by 9.1 pence per litre between July and August, reaching 161.2 pence. The ONS said this was the highest level since November 2022, when global energy prices rose sharply following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Airfares also contributed to the increase in inflation. Ticket prices rose during the peak of the summer holiday season, when millions of people travelled both within the UK and abroad.

Higher fuel and travel costs can have a wider impact on the economy because they can also increase the cost of transporting goods and providing services. As a result, consumers may face higher prices not only at petrol stations and airports but also in shops and restaurants.

Trkiye has issued its first Military Type Certificate for an indigenously developed air platform following a comprehensive certification process conducted in line with international standards and carried out entirely by Turkish personnel.

For the HÜRKUS-II, certification activities were conducted across 12 separate certification disciplines. As part of the process, 1,790 certification requirements were verified, 950 evidence documents were technically reviewed, and a total of 153 certification tests were completed.

A ceremony held on September 11 to mark the issuance of the HÜRKUS-II Military Type Certificate demonstrated Trkiye’s national capabilities not only in designing and manufacturing air platforms, but also in testing them, verifying their compliance, assessing their airworthiness and completing their certification.

As a result of the work carried out for HÜRKUS-II, the Military Type Certificate was issued on September 9 by the Certification Board, which consists of personnel from the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) and the Turkish Air Force Command.

The certificate marks the successful completion, for the first time in Trkiye, of a military type certification process for an indigenously developed air platform that complies with international standards and relies entirely on national human resources.

Haluk Görgn, President of the Presidency of Defense Industries, emphasized that the HÜRKUS-II Military Type Certificate represents a strategic as well as technical milestone for the Turkish aviation industry.

In his statement, Görgn said: ‘September 9, 2026, is a technical as well as strategic milestone for our Turkish aviation industry. The HÜRKUS-II Military Type Certificate is a concrete demonstration of Trkiye’s capability to design, manufacture, test, verify and certify its own aircraft. This document is the result of intensive engineering, testing and verification efforts. We are not only developing air platforms; we are also building the technical authority, methodology and certification culture needed to verify the reliability of these platforms with our own people.

‘The certification experience gained through HÜRKUS-II will become a lasting capability and a strong institutional memory for our future national air platforms. On the wings of HÜRKUS-II lies the determination of a Trkiye that has confidence in its own design, its own testing capabilities and its own technical expertise. We are determined to take this capability even further.

‘I would like to thank our SSB Quality, Testing and Certification teams, the Turkish Air Force Command, the Ministry of National Defense, the TR Airworthiness and TUSAS teams, as well as all the engineers and experts who contributed to the process.’

The certification activities for HÜRKUS-II were carried out through joint technical work involving experts from different institutions.

During the process, seven experts from the SSB Department of Quality, Testing and Certification participated in the work. On behalf of the SSB, 16 certification experts from TR Airworthiness (TRUE) took part in certification panels. Five experts from the Turkish Air Force Command were also involved, while 12 certification experts from the Ministry of National Defense participated in certification panels on behalf of the Air Force Command.

TUSAS, the contractor for the project, contributed 40 airworthiness experts and 10 Design and Production Organization Approval experts to the work.

This brought together the expertise accumulated across different Turkish institutions and organizations within a common framework covering the certification process from design and manufacturing to verification and technical assessment.

Certification activities under the HÜRKUS-II Project were conducted across 12 separate disciplines. Avionics, electronic equipment, electrical systems and electromagnetic environmental effects, propulsion and fuel, human factors, cabin safety, system safety, continuing airworthiness, aircraft systems, flight performance, structural and software areas were assessed through separate certification panels.

As part of these activities, 283 panel meetings and workshops were held. A total of 225 inspections were also conducted for subcontractor companies supporting software and electronic equipment activities.

The certification process also involved the verification of 1,790 certification requirements. In addition, 950 certification evidence documents were technically reviewed and assessed by the relevant panels.

Within the scope of the verification activities defined in the certification plans, 38 laboratory tests, 71 ground tests and 44 flight tests were conducted on HÜRKUS-II. In total, 153 certification tests were completed across different levels of verification.

Through the testing and verification activities, the aircraft’s compliance with the relevant certification requirements was assessed on the basis of technical evidence, creating the comprehensive body of evidence that formed the basis for the Military Type Certificate.

The capabilities acquired through the project are expected to further strengthen Trkiye’s national expertise in the design, testing, verification and certification processes of future air platforms.

Yemeni media outlets, including Saba News Agency, citing a military source, have strongly denied Saudi claims that Yemen’s Armed Forces pose a threat to Mecca or other Islamic holy sites.

‘We categorically deny that there is any threat from Yemen targeting the city of Mecca or any other holy sites,’ the source said.

The source also condemned what it described as ‘fabrication, deception, and misinformation’ by the Saudi government, accusing Riyadh of spreading false reports concerning potential threats to Islamic holy sites.

According to the source, the alleged reports were intended to ‘distort the truth and manipulate the Muslim world.’

The Yemeni military source further described the allegations as an established tactic that it claimed Saudi authorities have used previously.

The claims come amid heightened tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, with the two sides issuing competing statements over military developments and potential threats to Saudi territory.

Azerbaijani table tennis players are set to compete at the Belgian Open 2026.

The country will be represented at the tournament by Rustam Hajili, Adil Ahmadzada, Onur Guluzada, Laman Abdulhamidova, Zemfira Mikayilova, Marziya Nurmatova, Aylin Asgarova and Khadija Abilzada.

The athletes will compete under the guidance of national team head coaches Farhad Ismayilov and Mikhail Timofeyev.

The Belgian Open is an international table tennis tournament held in Belgium and included in the European Table Tennis Union’s Ranking Sanctioned Events calendar.

The 2026 edition will take place from September 17 to 20 in Pepinster.

The tournament has a long history in international table tennis and returned to the ETTU calendar in 2025, with the competition again being held in Pepinster.

“Today they are taking their first steps, and tomorrow they may perform on the world’s most prestigious opera stages.” This idea was at the heart of the concert “Young Voices Speak to the Future” (G?nc s?sl?r g?l?c?y? s?sl?nir), held as part of the 3rd Fidan Hajiyeva International Opera Festival.

The concert took place at the Fidan Hajiyeva Vocal Music School and was one of the festival’s events bringing together established artists and young performers. For the young vocalists, the concert offered an opportunity not only to demonstrate their abilities but also to experience the professional world of opera firsthand.

The programme featured vocalists Anar Hamidli, Aysu Aliyeva, Roya Aliyeva, Ali Aliyev, Rauf Mammadzada, Laman Mustafazade and Zahra Khanim Abdullayeva, who performed works by Azerbaijani and international classical composers. The concertmasters were Samra Hasanli and Arzu Aslan.

Special attention during the evening was given to the project’s main goal – supporting young talent and creating their first professional opportunities.

People’s Artist of Azerbaijan Fidan Hajiyeva said the current festival has become a major event in the country’s musical life. For the first time in Azerbaijan, she noted, a classical arts festival of this scale is being held over three months, from September 7 to December 7.

“I want the young soloist performing on the festival stage today to represent Azerbaijan on the world’s leading opera stages years from now and to say that one of the first steps in their professional career was taken at this festival,” Hajiyeva said.

She stressed that art cannot be preserved without passing it on to future generations.

“Art is passed from one generation to another. Our duty is not only to preserve the artistic heritage we have inherited, but also to pass it on to future generations in an even richer and more meaningful form,” the People’s Artist said.

Hajiyeva described the festival as an investment in the future of Azerbaijan’s national opera.

“Every young voice we nurture and support today may become the voice of Azerbaijan’s culture tomorrow,” she said.

She also highlighted the festival events being held at universities across the country. According to Hajiyeva, it is important for young people to experience classical art not only through textbooks and the internet.

“It is not enough for young people to learn about opera only through textbooks or the internet. I believe that a live concert, an opera aria or the experience of performing on stage can change a young person’s attitude toward art and music,” she said.

The 3rd Fidan Hajiyeva International Opera Festival is dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the People’s Artist’s birth and the 30th anniversary of her artistic career. Its programme extends beyond Baku, with events taking place in different regions of Azerbaijan as well as abroad in Paris, London, Milan and Minsk. Around 30 musical and cultural events are planned as part of the festival.

One of the central projects of this year’s festival is “Young Voices Speak to the Future”, which includes solo concerts by young singers, joint performances, vocal evenings and masterclasses.

The three-month festival will conclude with the gala concert “Carmen. Half a Century of an Artist’s Life” on December 7 at the Heydar Aliyev Palace. The evening will focus on one of the best-known characters in world opera – Carmen. Alongside music from Georges Bizet’s famous opera, the programme will feature works from Azerbaijani and international classical repertoire.

The Niyazi State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by People’s Artist Yalchin Adigozalov, will provide the musical accompaniment. The participation of a renowned Spanish flamenco group will add a distinctive element to the gala programme.

The festival, which began by giving young singers an opportunity to take their first steps on stage, is designed to help them move toward larger stages, where today’s early performances may become the beginning of international careers and contribute to the future of Azerbaijani opera.

Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az, Trend.Az, Day.Az and Milli.Az.

Trkiye’s industrial sector is entering a new era of competition, with ambitions extending beyond increasing production capacity toward becoming a manufacturing powerhouse that develops high technologies and supplies products to global supply chains. Seyit Ardiç, Chairman of the Board of the Ankara Chamber of Industry (ASO), said that investment, productivity and technology are the foundations of moving up the industrial value chain, stressing that Trkiye needs to increase its production and export capacity, particularly in high-technology products.

Ardiç said Trkiye’s position in the global manufacturing race can no longer be measured solely by production volumes. He noted that the level of technology and the amount of added value generated have become increasingly decisive.

Ardiç said that during the first seven months of 2026, high-technology products accounted for only 3.7% of Trkiye’s manufacturing industry exports, while their share of imports stood at 12.1%.

He added that Ankara had exceeded the national average in high-technology product exports, with a share of more than 13%.

‘In other words, we are buying high technology much more intensively than we are selling it,’ Ardiç said.

He emphasized that the goal of Trkiye’s industrial sector should not simply be to produce more, but to produce higher levels of technology and greater added value.

Ardiç said nuclear energy represents a strategic area in Trkiye’s ambition to develop technology and stressed that the nuclear sector should not be viewed solely in terms of electricity generation.

He explained that the nuclear supply chain creates a broad industrial ecosystem covering engineering, speciality steel, valves and pumps, welding technologies, software, quality systems, testing and certification.

‘Being included in the nuclear supply chain means moving our industry into a higher league,’ Ardiç said.

Recalling that ASO established NÜKSAK in 2017, Ardiç said the initiative was designed to help companies reach international quality and certification standards through clustering and gain access to global supply chains.

Ardiç particularly emphasized that Trkiye’s objective in the nuclear industry is not limited to supplying goods and services to power plants that will be built in the country.

He said Turkish companies need to take the engineering, quality, manufacturing and certification capabilities they acquire in the nuclear sector into international projects.

‘Our goal is for a component or piece of equipment produced in Ankara, or an engineering solution developed there, to be used in projects across different parts of the world, from Europe to Asia,’ Ardiç said.

He stressed that genuine localization should not be limited to using a domestically produced product in a particular project. The ultimate goal, he said, should be to make the capability to develop and manufacture such products permanent and to be able to sell them in global markets.

The Houthis have begun laying mines in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Al Arabiya television channel has reported.

The reported development raises further concerns over the security of one of the world’s key maritime chokepoints, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and is a major route for international shipping.

The report has not yet provided further details on the scale or location of the alleged mine-laying activity.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev addressed the participants of the international scientific and practical conference on “Development stages of audit: the path from compliance to strategic partnership and trust.”

AzerNEWS presents the address:

“Dear conference participants,

I cordially greet you in Baku at the international scientific and practical conference on ‘Development stages of audit: the path from compliance to strategic partnership and trust,’ dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Chamber of Auditors of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Within the framework of large-scale reforms implemented toward the progress of the independent state of Azerbaijan and the strengthening of its economic power, the formation and development of a modern audit institution have been of special importance. The adoption of the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan ‘On Audit Service’ was an important manifestation of the high value attached by National Leader Heydar Aliyev to the principles of democratic governance and the formation of the institutional foundations of a market economy, as well as of a visionary and purposeful state policy aimed at ensuring financial discipline, transparency and accountability in the country.

The Chamber of Auditors of the Republic of Azerbaijan, established in accordance with that Law, has undertaken important and necessary work over the past period to strengthen the institutional foundations of the independent audit system in the country, train professional audit personnel, develop an environment of transparency and accountability, and establish a modern audit model in line with advanced international practices. Consequently, the coverage of audit services has expanded significantly, and the role of the audit institution in ensuring the reliability of financial statements, increasing transparency, strengthening the fight against corruption and reducing the shadow economy has grown further.

The international conference organized to mark the anniversary of the Chamber of Auditors is particularly important as a platform for analyzing the development path traversed by the audit profession in our country over the past thirty years from both scientific and practical perspectives, improving the legal and regulatory framework governing audit activities, strengthening the professional self-governance institution, developing quality control mechanisms and discussing key issues related to the application of international audit standards.

Within the framework of the conference, the discussion of new areas for the development of audit activities in the context of digital transformation, the integration of big data analytics and artificial intelligence technologies into the audit process, the expansion of the role of audit beyond its traditional compliance function to that of a strategic partner and value-creating institution, as well as the strengthening of professional ethics and public trust are of particular significance in meeting modern requirements.

In an environment in which the global economy is rapidly digitalizing and technological transformation is gaining momentum, bringing audit activities to a new qualitative level is one of the important tasks facing every country. In this regard, consistent efforts to establish audit activities on digital foundations, expand the use of artificial intelligence and modern data analytics tools, increase transparency and efficiency in audit processes, and develop innovative audit methodologies in line with international professional standards are particularly important for enhancing the effectiveness of the Chamber of Auditors. At the same time, preserving the prestige of the audit profession and public trust in it, further strengthening the principles of high professionalism and ethical conduct, as well as developing professional human resources are among the main priorities ahead.

I am confident that the discussions to be held and the initiatives to be put forward during the conference will contribute to the further improvement of audit activity in our country, the application of digital transformation and artificial intelligence in auditing, the expansion of international cooperation, and enhancing the prestige of the audit institution.

On the occasion of this significant anniversary, I once again congratulate the staff of the Chamber of Auditors and the conference participants and wish the event every success.”

On September 16, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the inauguration of the 100 MW Gobustan Solar Power Plant in Baku’s Garadagh district.

Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Azerbaijan Lu Mei, and Chief Executive Officer of Universal International Holdings Limited Yi Nan welcomed the head of state.

President Ilham Aliyev was briefed on the Gobustan Solar Power Plant, Universal Energy, and its operations in Azerbaijan.

The Shanghai-based Chinese company provides green energy and energy storage system solutions.

In addition to China, Universal Energy implements renewable energy projects in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

By a decision adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers in 2023, a 300.77-hectare plot of land in the Pirsaat settlement of Baku’s Garadagh district was designated as a renewable energy site for the construction of a solar power plant.

The site was put up for auction for the construction of the solar power plant, with China’s Universal International Holdings Limited emerging as the winner in 2024.

The Gobustan Solar Power Plant project is the first project implemented through an auction process in Azerbaijan, as well as the first project carried out by Universal Energy in the country.

In addition to solar panels, field inverters and transformers have been installed at the plant, and all cabling works have been completed.

Following the commissioning of the Gobustan Solar Power Plant, annual electricity generation is projected to reach approximately 200 million kilowatt-hours. This will save 45 million cubic meters of natural gas annually while reducing carbon emissions by 97,000 tons.

Under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, the widespread use of renewable energy sources is one of the priority directions of the country’s energy policy.

In Azerbaijan, the technical potential of green energy sources stands at 135 GW onshore and 157 GW offshore. The economic potential is estimated at 27 GW, including 3 GW of wind energy, 23 GW of solar energy, 380 MW of bioenergy, and 520 MW of mountain river potential. With the commissioning of the Gobustan Solar Power Plant, the total capacity of renewable energy sources in the country will reach 2,170 MW, with the number of power plants totaling 85. Of these, 65 are hydroelectric power plants with a total capacity of 1,443.5 MW, six are wind power plants with a total capacity of 306.5 MW, ten are solar power plants with a total capacity of 378.2 MW, three are hybrid power plants with a total capacity of 7.3 MW, and one is a biomass power plant with a capacity of 37 MW. Renewable energy sources will account for approximately 21.5 percent of the country’s total power generation capacity. The implementation of renewable energy projects with a total capacity of approximately 1.5 GW is planned by the end of 2027. Carried out jointly with local and international partners, these projects will contribute to the country’s electricity supply while creating conditions for saving natural gas and significantly reducing carbon emissions.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has reaffirmed his use of the name Karki for the settlement known as Tigranashen in Armenia, saying the name reflects the settlement’s historical status.

Speaking in the Armenian parliament, Pashinyan said he called the settlement Karki because ‘Karki is Karki’, according to Armenian sources.

‘If it were not Karki, I would not call it Karki,’ Pashinyan said, responding to questions about the settlement, which Armenia refers to as Tigranashen.

Addressing the legal dimension of the issue, the Armenian prime minister again referred to the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration and maps that were in force at the time as the basis for determining the origin and status of former enclaves.

Pashinyan has previously referred to the Alma-Ata Declaration as a key framework for recognising the territorial integrity and borders of the former Soviet republics following the dissolution of the USSR.

The remarks come amid continuing discussions over border delimitation between Armenia and Azerbaijan, including the status of areas that were formerly administered as enclaves or exclaves during the Soviet period.

Karki, also known in Armenia as Tigranashen, is located in Armenia’s Ararat Province, near the border with Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. The settlement was formerly an Azerbaijani-populated enclave within the territory of Soviet Armenia.

The status of former enclaves has remained part of the broader debate surrounding the delimitation and demarcation of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.

By invoking the Alma-Ata Declaration and contemporaneous maps, Pashinyan again placed the question within the framework of the borders inherited by the former Soviet republics after 1991.

The Armenian and Azerbaijani sides have been engaged in a bilateral process of border delimitation, with the issue of territorial boundaries forming a central element of the wider peace process between the two countries.