Azerbaijan and Turkey to extend scope of cooperation against crime

Forced labor and irregular migration have been added to the scope of crimes that Turkey and Azerbaijan will work together to tackle, in addition to human trafficking and migrant smuggling, Deputy Foreign Minister Yavuz Selim Kıran said.

At the last meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM), the proposal to amend the security cooperation agreement between the two countries was accepted.

Addressing the deputies, Kıran stated that Turkey attaches importance to security cooperation with Azerbaijan and that mutual contacts and visits are carried out between law enforcement authorities at all levels.

Highlighting that Azerbaijani law enforcement officers undergo training in Turkey, Kıran said: "We are carrying out a joint struggle with Azerbaijan against terrorism, drugs, smuggling, organized crime and public order. While doing this, we evaluate new cooperation opportunities, including mutual support in disasters and emergencies."

Kıran also underlined that the Security Cooperation Agreement signed in 2013 needed to be updated based on the growing relations between Turkish and Azerbaijani law enforcement authorities, adding that a protocol was signed in 2020 for this same purpose.

"With the additional protocol, forced labor and irregular migration, in addition to human trafficking and migrant smuggling, are included in the scope of crimes to be pursued together," Kıran said. Crimes that are terrorist in nature, espionage, subversive activities, forgeries and smuggling of all kinds have been added as new areas of cooperation in addition to crimes against the lives, health, honor and dignity of citizens, crimes against property and the illegal trafficking of organs, tissues and cells.