The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) will soon participate in a number of joint military drills with Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan to strengthen military cooperation between the countries.

In the military drills set for May 1-3 in Azerbaijan, the militaries of both countries will exchange experience to boost the coordination of the armies. According to a statement issued by the Azerbaijan Defense Ministry, the Turkish army delegation arrived in the country yesterday as a part of the "Mustafa Kemal Atatürk 2019" drill, named after the founder of Turkish Republic. The military exercise will be carried out with armored vehicles, artillery batteries, mortars, air defense systems, planes and helicopters.

Another TSK delegation also arrived in Uzbekistan to participate in the first-ever organized joint military drills of Uzbekistan-Pakistan-Turkey, the Uzbekistan Defense Ministry announced on Sunday. The delegation was welcomed by officials of the Defense Ministry and Military Attache Staff Col. Mustafa Baloğlu. The drill will be held on April 27 in Uzbekistan's Jizzakh.

Turkey, Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan enjoy strong relations based on religious bonding and cultural affinities. The countries interact regularly on various forums, and military cooperation has been increasing gradually.

For instance, Turkey and Pakistan in recent years have gained new momentum with agreements inked in the defense industry. The Turkish Defense Industry Undersecretariat (SSB) announced on July 10 the finalization of the Pakistani contract for the purchase of T-129 Advanced Attack and Tactical Reconnaissance Helicopters (ATAK), which will be delivered gradually over five years from Turkey. The military chiefs of Azerbaijan and Turkey also met in November 2018 along with their Georgian counterparts to discuss security issues regarding peace and stability in the region.