Category: Azer News

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on Wednesday that the country’s defense doctrine is “an eye for an eye,” in the wake of United States President Donald Trump’s threats, AzerNEWS reports.

“Any aggression against Iran, including our infrastructure, will compel a powerful and decisive response,” Araghchi wrote in a post on his X account, adding that “those who contribute to such aggression, whatever the kind of support, will also be considered as legitimate targets.”

Earlier in the day, Trump threatened Tehran with attacks on Iranian bridges and power plants, and warned that Iran will “pay a big price” for killing US troops.

On the other hand, Iran threatened to target the region’s energy infrastructure if attacked.

The Bulgarian parliament has approved the deployment of US military tanker aircraft at an airbase near the village of Bezmer in southeastern Bulgaria, AzerNEWS reports, citing the Bulgarian National Radio.

The resolution was adopted with the support of 135 lawmakers from the Progressive Bulgaria and Movement for Rights and Freedoms parties.

Thirteen lawmakers voted against the decision, while the opposition Union of Democratic Forces, Democratic Bulgaria and We Continue the Change did not participate in the vote.

Earlier, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said that the government had received a diplomatic note from the United States regarding permission to deploy tanker aircraft at the airbase near Bezmer. The government subsequently submitted the issue to parliament for consideration.

Under a 2006 US-Bulgaria defense agreement, the Bezmer facility, about 260 kilometers (160 miles) southeast of the capital, Sofia, is a joint-use facility.

US President Donald Trump wants FIFA President Gianni Infantino to become the next secretary-general of the United Nations, according to a report by the New York Post, citing a source familiar with the matter, AzerNEWS reports.

The source said Trump believes Infantino is “respected by everyone around the world” and has a unique ability to bring people together.

The report comes after Infantino strengthened ties with Trump during this year’s FIFA World Cup, where the FIFA president made several public appearances alongside the US leader. In December, Infantino also presented Trump with FIFA’s inaugural Peace Prize.

Current UN Secretary-General António Guterres is due to complete his second five-year term on December 31, 2026. Under Article 97 of the UN Charter, his successor must be recommended by the 15-member UN Security Council and approved by the UN General Assembly. Any of the Security Council’s five permanent members can block a candidate by exercising their veto.

Trump has frequently criticized the United Nations for what he considers its ineffective response to major international conflicts. Since returning to office, his administration has significantly reduced US funding for the organization and withdrawn from several UN-affiliated bodies, including the World Health Organization (WHO).

Last year, Trump also established a US-led Board of Peace, prompting speculation that it could serve as an alternative mechanism for international conflict resolution. The White House denied those claims at the time.

Trkiye is continuing to make significant advances across four critical regions through a series of simultaneous defense and security diplomacy initiatives. The growing diplomatic engagement stretching from Somalia and Egypt to Pakistan and Syria is widely seen as a reflection of Ankara’s strategy to strengthen its role in the regional security architecture. The intensive pace of high-level contacts underscores Trkiye’s determination to expand security cooperation simultaneously across the Horn of Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean, South Asia, and the Levant.

As the Turkish Grand National Assembly approved a motion extending the deployment of the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) in Somalia for an additional two years, a series of high-level visits to the region followed in quick succession. Demonstrating one of the key pillars of Trkiye’s security partnership in the Horn of Africa, Turkish Land Forces Commander General Metin Tokel attended the graduation ceremony on July 10 for Somali officers and non-commissioned officers trained by the Turkish Task Force in Somalia. During his visit, General Tokel also held meetings with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Minister of Defense Ahmed Moalim Fiqi. The visit reaffirmed Trkiye’s long-term commitment to strengthening the institutional capacity of the Somali Armed Forces and its continued support for the country’s defense sector.

Egypt also featured prominently on Ankara’s diplomatic agenda. On July 13, Egyptian Minister of Defense and Military Production Lieutenant General Ashraf Saleh Zahir paid an official visit to Ankara, where he was welcomed with a formal military ceremony by Turkish Minister of National Defense Yasar Gler. During the visit, the two sides signed the Trkiye-Egypt Defense Cooperation Letter of Intent, while the Egyptian delegation also held meetings with representatives of Trkiye’s defense industry. Regarded as one of the most tangible outcomes of the ongoing normalization process between the two countries in the field of defense, the agreement highlights that the emerging phase in Trkiye-Egypt relations represents not only the restoration of bilateral diplomatic ties but also the formation of a new regional balancing axis with broader strategic implications.

Trkiye also reinforced its strategic partnership with Pakistan through a series of high-level engagements. On July 13, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, met with Chief of the Turkish General Staff General Selçuk Bayraktaroglu and Minister of National Defense Yasar Gler. The following day, on July 14, Field Marshal Munir was received by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The discussions focused on enhancing military training cooperation and expanding collaboration in the defense industry, further deepening the long-standing strategic partnership between the two countries.

Reaffirming its central role in shaping the security architecture of the Eastern Mediterranean, Trkiye marked another significant milestone on July 13-14 with a symbolic naval deployment. Warships commanded by Turkish Naval Forces Commander Admiral Ercment Tatlioglu made their first visit to the Port of Latakia in approximately 18 years. The visit stood out as one of the clearest signals yet of the military dimension of Trkiye’s efforts to build a new phase of relations with Syria, highlighting Ankara’s intention to play a more active role in the evolving regional security landscape.

The NATO Summit held in Ankara once again showcased the remarkable progress Trkiye has achieved in its defense industry. Following widespread praise from allied leaders for the country’s indigenous defense programs, the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) unveiled its strategic roadmap for the next phase of development. At the heart of this vision is the creation of a robust nationwide supply and manufacturing ecosystem capable of producing critical defense technologies entirely through domestic capabilities.

Under its strategy, ‘Developing Technologies and Capabilities That Will Shape the Future Through National Resources,’ the SSB is currently overseeing more than 1,100 defense projects. The objective extends beyond developing platforms that meet today’s operational requirements; it is also aimed at ensuring that Trkiye can independently design and manufacture the advanced technologies expected to define the future battlefield. As part of this strategy, Ankara seeks to reduce foreign dependence in key areas ranging from propulsion systems and semiconductor technologies to radar systems and integrated air defense networks.

One of the most significant pillars of the new strategy is to ensure that defense production is no longer concentrated among only a handful of major companies. To achieve this, the SSB plans to establish a comprehensive national supply ecosystem that will integrate small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), universities, and technology parks across all 81 provinces of Trkiye into the development and production of critical defense technologies. The initiative is expected to significantly expand domestic manufacturing capacity, accelerate production processes, and enhance the defense sector’s resilience against future disruptions and geopolitical crises. Recognizing that the international order established after World War II is undergoing profound transformation, Trkiye has made substantial investments in its defense industry over the past decade and is now positioning itself for a new strategic era. Under this vision, the country’s defense industrial base will no longer be confined to a limited number of companies or production centers but will evolve into a nationwide innovation and manufacturing network.

Having established itself as a global leader in unmanned aerial systems through the success of its armed drones, Trkiye now aims to extend that competitive advantage into next-generation defense technologies. Among the SSB’s strategic priorities are artificial intelligence, swarming autonomous systems, quantum technologies, directed-energy weapons, including laser systems, and space-based defense capabilities. Rather than focusing solely on catching up with competitors in already mature technologies, the strategy prioritizes investment in emerging fields where no single country has yet achieved undisputed technological dominance. Through this approach, Ankara seeks to further strengthen its asymmetric advantages in the defense sector while positioning itself at the forefront of future military innovation.

Another key priority outlined by the SSB is ensuring the long-term sustainability of defense systems throughout their entire operational life cycle. By carrying out the maintenance, repair, modernization, and lifecycle support of domestically developed platforms within Trkiye, the country aims to reinforce its logistical independence while keeping billions of dollars in defense-related expenditures within the national economy. Policymakers expect this strategy not only to enhance Trkiye’s deterrence capability within NATO but also to accelerate the technological transformation of its defense industry, further solidifying its position as one of the alliance’s leading defense manufacturing powers.

A presentation ceremony for the Azerbaijani-language edition of “My Life Is a Letter” by Shukhrat Arif, Chairman of the Uzbekistan Journalists’ Union and a renowned poet and publicist, has been held at the Aghdam Mugham Center, AzerNEWS reports.

The event was organized as part of the 2nd International Festival of Young Poets of the Turkic World.

The presentation was moderated by Intigam Yashar, Chairman of the World Union of Young Turkic Writers and a poet-publicist. Among the attendees were Sultan Raev, Secretary General of TURKSOY and a writer; Salim Babullaoglu, Secretary for International Affairs of the Azerbaijan Writers’ Union (AWU) and a poet; Musa Kazim Arican, Rector of Ankara Social Sciences University; Muhammed Enes Kala, Chairman of the Writers’ Union of Turkiye; Akmurad Rajabov, an official of the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan; as well as distinguished literary and cultural figures from across the Turkic world.

The speakers emphasized that literary and cultural relations between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have developed significantly in recent years.

They described the publication of Shukhrat Arif’s works in Azerbaijani as an importantic world, strengthen literary ties between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, introduce contemporary Uzbek poetry to Azerbaijani readers, and deepen literary and cultural cooperation among Turkic event for promoting the shared spiritual and cultural values of the two brotherly nations.

It was noted that the publication represents a valuable contribution to the literary integration of the Turkic world, the enrichment of mutual translation traditions, and the expansion of cultural cooperation.

The book “My Life Is a Letter” was published as a joint project of the World Union of Young Turkic Writers and the Regional Legal and Economic Awareness Public Union. The project’s main objectives are to promote the common spiritual heritage of the Turkic world, strengthen literary ties between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, introduce contemporary Uzbek poetry to Azerbaijani readers, and deepen literary and cultural cooperation among Turkic peoples.

The book was adapted into Azerbaijani by Shahmammad Daglaroglu (Soltanov), a member of the Azerbaijan Writers’ Union, Chairman of the Ismayilli Writers Public Union, and poet-publicist, together with Akbar Goshali, laureate of the International “Alash” Literary Prize and a poet-publicist.

The editor of the publication is Akbar Goshali. The advisors are Arzu Baghirova, Chairperson of the Regional Legal and Economic Awareness Public Union, and Khasiyat Rustam, Editor-in-Chief of Uzbekistan’s “Kitab Dunyasi” (Book World) newspaper and a poet-publicist.

The literary reviewers are Salim Babullaoglu, Secretary of the Azerbaijan Writers’ Union and poet-translator, and Intigam Yashar, Chairman of the World Union of Young Turkic Writers. The project coordinator is Nilufer Latif, Deputy Chairperson of the Regional Legal and Economic Awareness Public Union.

During the event, participants were given a comprehensive overview of the author’s literary career, and selected poems from the book were recited.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the guests congratulated the author and expressed confidence that this publication would pave the way for new literary projects and further strengthen cultural cooperation between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.

Global demand for electricity continues to rise, driven by industrial production, the growing adoption of electric vehicles, increased use of air conditioners, and the expansion of data centers, AzerNEWS reports.

According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), global electricity demand is projected to increase by 3.6% in 2026 and 3.8% in 2027, exceeding the 3% growth recorded in 2025. Global electricity consumption is expected to rise from 28,600 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2025 to 30,700 TWh by 2027.

The report states that disruptions in the global natural gas market caused by tensions in the Middle East have increased the cost of electricity generation in many regions. Nevertheless, strong demand from industry, household appliances, cooling systems, electric vehicles, and data centers is expected to sustain the growth in electricity consumption.

Interruptions to LNG shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have pushed gas prices in Asia and Europe to their highest levels since the 2022-2023 energy crisis. Although several countries have implemented emergency measures to curb energy consumption, additional LNG supplies have helped ease market pressures to some extent. However, high gas prices have led some countries in Asia and Europe to substitute coal for natural gas in electricity generation.

The report emphasizes that solar power will remain the primary driver of growth in global electricity generation.

It also notes that electricity demand will continue to grow rapidly in the world’s leading economies. In China, demand is expected to increase by 5.5% in 2026, while India is projected to see growth of 7%. In contrast, electricity demand in the United States and the European Union is forecast to grow at a more moderate pace of around 2%. Meanwhile, high fuel prices and supply constraints are negatively affecting electricity consumption in LNG import-dependent countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh.

After several days of nationwide protests, President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Mykhailo Drapatyi as Ukraine’s new commander-in-chief on July 21, prompting outrage among Russian social media users and military bloggers, AzerNEWS reports via Kyiv Independent.

One of the most experienced Ukrainian commanders, Drapatyi has been fighting Russia in Ukraine since 2014. He replaced Oleksandr Syrskyi, whose resignation became one of the key demands of the mass demonstrations that followed the controversial dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who had been at odds with the previous commander-in-chief.

Drapatyi’s appointment was met with celebration among Ukrainian military personnel and protesters, while Russian social media users contrasted Ukraine’s political system with Russia’s and warned about the new commander-in-chief, describing him as someone who “hates (Russian soldiers) and hates them consistently.”

In the comments sections of social media posts, dozens of anonymous Russian users shared their views on Ukraine’s new commander-in-chief.

A user identified by the nickname SV pointed to former commander-in-chief Syrskyi’s Russian roots and the fact that some of his relatives still reside in Russia, including his parents, Lyudmila and Stanislav, and his brother Oleg. SV suggested that these connections had restrained some Ukrainian attacks.

“That’s it – ‘Madyar’ (call sign of Robert Brovdi, Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces Commander) has free rein now. Now it’s going to be Armageddon,” SV wrote on Telegram.

While some users raised concerns about Drapatyi’s character and the potential impact of his leadership on the Ukrainian military, others highlighted that his appointment followed public protests, contrasting them with the lack of similar demonstrations in Russia.

“I envy Ukrainians. These people aren’t afraid of a damn thing and take to the streets at the slightest provocation to stop the government from getting too cocky,” another anonymous user wrote in a Telegram comment.

“No president would dare shut down the internet or slaughter the cows of the people like that. But we – we just put up with it. We’ll swallow anything.”

The three-day final stage of the sixth “Yks?lis” (Rising) competition has concluded, AzerNEWS reports.

A total of 130 participants, who had successfully completed the previous four stages of the competition, competed in the final round.

On the third day of the finals, several senior officials attended the event, including Minister of Youth and Sports Farid Gayibov.

Under the supervision of members of the Organizing Committee and mentors, the finalists completed a case study titled “New Sphere of Influence: Azerbaijan.”

The participants answered mentors’ questions regarding their proposed solutions, which were evaluated by senior executives.

The winners of the competition will be announced within 5-7 working days after the conclusion of the final stage.

The “Yks?lis” (Rise/Ascent) competition is a national leadership and talent development initiative in Azerbaijan designed to identify professionals with strong intellectual potential, managerial abilities, and leadership qualities, while creating a reserve pool of talented specialists for the country. It was established by a decree of the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, on July 26, 2019.

The competition targets Azerbaijani citizens who demonstrate high professional competence and leadership potential. Eligible participants are typically required to be between 21 and 51 years old, hold a higher education degree, and have at least two years of management experience.

The competition consists of several stages, including registration, a general knowledge examination, analytical assessment, management skills evaluation, semifinal, and final rounds. Participants are tested on their knowledge, analytical thinking, decision-making abilities, and leadership skills through various assessments and practical case assignments.

One of the key advantages of the competition is its focus on long-term professional development. Winners receive a one-year individual development program under the mentorship of experienced leaders, as well as a 20,000 AZN financial award for self-development.

Participants who successfully advance through major stages may also be included in a national talent reserve database.

The United States military has concluded its 12th consecutive night of strikes against Iran, according to a statement released by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), AzerNEWS reports.

CENTCOM said the latest wave of attacks targeted Iran’s maritime capabilities, facilities used to store missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), coastal surveillance sites, and air defense systems.

The command also stated that throughout this month, U.S. forces have carried out strikes against dozens of Iranian military installations on land while simultaneously re-establishing a naval blockade against Iran.

As of today, CENTCOM said it has redirected the routes of nine commercial vessels and disabled one ship as part of efforts to prevent maritime traffic from entering or departing Iranian ports.