Mariana Vasieleva, Deputy Minister of Sports of Azerbaijan, Rövnəq Abdullayev, Deputy Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan, Cahit Bağcı, Ambassador of Turkey to Turkey, Yıldırım Demirören, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Demirören Holding and President of the Turkish Golf Federation (TGF) and more than 100 guests attended the dinner held in the invitation hall of Dreamland Golf Club. The opening ceremony of the tournament started with the national anthem of both countries. Azerbaijan Deputy Minister of Sport Mariana Vasileva made the opening speech. Vasileva gave an inspiring speech emphasising the importance of sportsmanship and friendship in international sports. Taking the floor after Vasileva's speech, Rauf Halilov, President of the Azerbaijan Golf Federation, expressed his pleasure to host this event and to strengthen the ties between the two countries through golf.

YILDIRIM DEMİRÖREN: I HOPE TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THIS EXCITEMENT WITH YOU EVERY YEAR LIKE TODAY

Taking the floor after Halilov, Yıldırım Demirören, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Demirören Holding and President of the Turkish Golf Federation (TGF), underlined the long-standing friendship between Turkey and Azerbaijan and said: "First of all, we signed an agreement to popularise and popularise the sport of golf among the young people of the two brotherly countries. As a first step, we aimed to organise a tournament in Azerbaijan one year and in Turkey one year, which we will make a tradition. I hope to be able to share this excitement with you every year like today."

As a symbol of friendship and co-operation, Presidents Halilov and Demirören strengthened the ties between the two federations by exchanging gifts.

The opening ceremony was followed by an extensive programme of national music, traditional dances and cultural performances, giving guests a glimpse into the rich heritage of both nations. This tournament was of special significance as it was dedicated to the victory of the 2nd Karabakh War and the lasting friendship between Azerbaijan and Turkey. This demonstrated the strong ties between the two countries, not only in the field of sport, but also in terms of shared history and values.