Turkey and Azerbaijan to open passport-free bilateral travel
Turkish and Azerbaijani citizens will be allowed to mutually travel without passports under new protocols taking effect today.
Turkish military support helped Azerbaijan secure victory in the 44-day Nagorno-Karabakh conflict last year. Following the war, Ankara and Baku worked together to ease travel requirements for their citizens. The protocol, which enables citizens of Turkey and Azerbaijan to conduct cross-border travel with only a government-issued ID card, is a major step towards deepening the strategic alliance between the two Turkic states.
The commercial relationship between Ankara and Baku will likely deepen as a result of the protocol. Gross revenue is set to increase substantially in the short- to medium-term considering that a preferential trade agreement, which removes tariffs and duty quotas on major goods, came into force earlier this year.
Additional forms of cooperation specifically within the framework of the Turkic Council will also expand. Going forward, Ankara and Baku will continue to take similar positions in international platforms such as the UN and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Furthermore, the two countries aim to improve their plan of action with regard to joint security by working efficiently against regional terrorism and cross-border crime.
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