Baku — August 29, 2025
Lieutenant General Bahtiyar Ersay has left his post as Commander of the Turkish Military Mission in Azerbaijan to take up a new assignment as Commander of the Turkish First Army, according to Caliber.az.
His successor in Baku is Lieutenant General Soner Orucoglu, who was officially introduced to Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense earlier this month. Orucoglu has held senior command positions in the Turkish Armed Forces and is seen as a key figure in deepening Ankara–Baku military cooperation.
During his first meetings in Baku, Orucoglu was received by Azerbaijan’s Minister of Defense, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov, and First Deputy Minister and Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Karim Valiyev. The discussions focused on strengthening bilateral military and technical cooperation, the ongoing reform of Azerbaijan’s Armed Forces, and joint work in the liberated territories.
