The opening ceremony of the monument erected in memory of the first martyrs of the Caucasian Islamic Army was held in Ganja.

Honorable doctor Mehman Rzayev, director of Ganja Medical College, doctor-teaching staff and students took part in the ceremony.

First, the dear memory of our martyrs was commemorated with a moment of silence, then the national anthems of Azerbaijan and Turkey were played.

Niyazi Bayramov, the head of the Ganja City Executive Authority, noted in his speech that today the Day of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan is celebrated everywhere in our country. In 2020, under the leadership of Commander-in-Chief, President Ilham Aliyev, our Armed Forces gave us a glorious Victory in just 44 days. They liberated our lands that were under occupation for 30 years. Continuing his speech, Niyazi Bayramov noted that this holiday will be remembered by another significant event for the city of Ganja. We are holding the opening ceremony of the monument dedicated to the dear memory of "13 mehmetjis of the Caucasian Islamic Army who were heroically martyred in Ganja in 1918". The monument erected in memory of the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the city of Ganja is a clear example of friendship and brotherly relations between the two countries.

Turkey's ambassador to Azerbaijan Cahit Bagchi said in his speech that Azerbaijan-Turkey relations based on Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's words "Azerbaijan's joy is our joy, its sorrow is our sorrow" and national leader Heydar Aliyev's "Azerbaijan-Turkey are one nation, two states" are built on unshakable brotherly relations. The basis of these relations is the historical bond. The ambassador noted that the arrival of Nuru Pasha, the commander of the Caucasian Islamic Army, to Ganja on May 25, 1918, was greeted with great joy by the people of Ganja. Because Nuru Pasha's first act was to eliminate the danger in Ganja, disarm the enemies here and ensure the safety of the Azerbaijani population. On June 11, 1918, 13 mehmetjis of the Caucasian Islamic Army were heroically martyred in the battles around the Shah Abbas Mosque in Ganja. Cahit Bağçı emphasized that the magnificent monument erected in the mentioned area is a great historical event for both countries.

Speakers at the event talked about friendship and fraternal relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey based on historical roots. It was reported that the relations between the two countries are strengthening, strengthening and deepening day by day.

The architect of the seven-meter-high monument is Mustafa Yama, the project leader is Turgay Aliyev.

Consul General of Turkey in Ganja, Zeki Öztürk, who participated in the ceremony, gave letters of thanks to those who contributed to the construction of the monument erected in memory of "13 heroic mehmetjis, one of the first martyrs of the Caucasian Islamic Army".