TİKA President Serkan Kayalar Attends Openings of TİKA Projects in Azerbaijan

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) President Serkan Kayalar conducted bilateral meetings and attended the openings of TİKA projects during his official visit to Azerbaijan.

As part of his program in Azerbaijan, President Kayalar first met with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cahit Bağcı, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Baku. Following this, he visited the Government House with Ambassador Bağcı and met with Adil Kerimli, the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

During his visit, President Kayalar also met with Elmaddin Mehdiyev, President of the Azerbaijan International Development Agency (AIDA) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan; and Orhan Memmedov, President of the Small and Medium Business Development Agency. During the meetings, TİKA’s ongoing projects in the friendly and brotherly country of Azerbaijan, as well as new opportunities for cooperation, were discussed.

Sumgait Gastrotourism Academy Opens

The Gastrotourism Academy, established in Sumgait—the second-largest city in Azerbaijan—with the aim of training qualified professionals and contributing to employment in the tourism and service sectors, was inaugurated in a ceremony attended by TİKA President Serkan Kayalar. The academy was created in collaboration with TİKA and the Azerbaijan Health and Thermal Tourism Support Association.

The academy was inaugurated in a ceremony attended by Sumgait Deputy, Müşfik Memmedli; Azerbaijan Health and Thermal Tourism Support Association President, Ruslan Guliyev; TiKA’s Central Asia and Caucasus Department Head, Ali Özgün Öztürk; and TİKA’s Coordinator in Baku, Hayrettin Özçelik. The academy aims to provide practical training to more than 4,000 trainees annually across various fields, including waiter services, cooking, barista skills, housekeeping, front office management, tourism agency operations, software development, English language proficiency, and tour guiding.

After completing the opening ceremonies, Kayalar visited TİKA’s Baku Program Coordination Office, where he received a briefing on the office’s operations from TİKA’s Coordinator in Baku, Hayrettin Özçelik.

On the second day of his visit to Azerbaijan, TİKA President Kayalar paid homage to one of Azerbaijan’s greatest literary figures, poet, and thinker Nizami Ganjavi by visiting his mausoleum. He also toured the house of the Şeyhzamanlı family, where Nuri Pasha, the commander of the Caucasian Islamic Army, once stayed, receiving detailed information from the authorities.

Following these visits, Kayalar traveled to Ganja to attend the opening ceremonies of TİKA projects. While in Ganja, he met with Recep Öztop, the Consul General of the Republic of Türkiye, to discuss potential steps for enhancing cooperation between institutions within the Turkic World.

Ganja Medical College Youth Center Opened by TİKA President Serkan Kayalar

On the second day of his visit to Azerbaijan, TİKA President Serkan Kayalar inaugurated the Youth Center established by TİKA at Ganja Medical College.

The Youth Center, set up by TİKA within Ganja Medical College—the first health vocational school in Azerbaijan, founded in 1931—features a modern computer infrastructure to provide students with access to electronic libraries. It is also equipped with a sound system and musical instruments for use in music and performing arts, as well as cafeteria and kitchen facilities designed to support students during their studies.

Speaking at the opening, TİKA President Serkan Kayalar remarked, “Nizami Ganjavi once said, ‘Let us be ready to burn like a candle to do something useful for others.’ At TİKA, we strive to reach people wherever they are and bring smiles to their faces. We entrust this center to you, the youth. We hope you will use it to learn, research, have fun, and rest as you wish.”

Following the opening ceremony, students of the college organized music and dance performances at the Youth Center. During the program, Fatima Gocayeva, the winner of the Azerbaijan Ministry of National Education College and Inter-University Song Competition, sang “Çırpınırdı Karadeniz”. As Karabakh War veterans unfurled Turkish and Azerbaijani flags, the audience experienced deeply emotional moments in the hall.

TİKA President Serkan Kayalar Attends World Turkish Coffee Day Event in Ganja

TİKA’s President Serkan Kayalar participated in the World Turkish Coffee Day event organized by the Consulate General of the Republic of Türkiye in Ganja as part of his Azerbaijan program. During the event, participants enjoyed various presentations followed by the serving of traditional Turkish coffee.

TİKA Replaces Flags at Turkish Martyrs’ Cemeteries in Azerbaijan

Through a project carried out in collaboration with TİKA and the Azerbaijan-Türkiye Graduate Businessmen and Intellectuals Platform, the worn-out flags at the Turkish Martyrs’ Cemeteries of the Caucasian Islamic Army in Azerbaijan are being replaced. As part of this initiative, TİKA’s President Serkan Kayalar, who was in Azerbaijan for official engagements and project inaugurations, visited the Shamakhi Turkish Martyrs’ Cemetery. During his visit, he personally replaced the Turkish and Azerbaijani flags and offered prayers for the heroic martyrs of the Caucasian Islamic Army.

TİKA Establishes Education Center for Alban-Udi Christian Community in Azerbaijan

On the third day of his Azerbaijan program, TİKA’s President Serkan Kayalar inaugurated the education center used by the Alban-Udi Christian Community, one of the ancient peoples of the Caucasus. The center, renovated and furnished by TİKA, was officially opened in a ceremony held at the site.

Located in the garden of the Chotari Church in the town of Nic, Gabala Province, the education center was fully renovated by TİKA and equipped with computers, smart boards, and modern furniture. It will serve as a hub for various activities, including educational programs for Udi youth and summer camps.

Speaking to the press after the ceremony, Alban-Udi Christian Community President Robert Mobili expressed his gratitude saying, “The establishment of this much-needed education center by TİKA is incredibly valuable to us. We thank Türkiye and TİKA for their support.”