The process for launching charter flights between Azerbaijan and the north is at an “advanced stage”, Turkish Cypriot ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel said on Saturday.

He said cooperation agreements currently under discussion could pave the way for services to begin in the near future.

Speaking in Baku, Ustel said contacts with the Azerbaijani government had progressed significantly and that both sides were close to formalising arrangements aimed at strengthening links between Azerbaijan and the north.

He said regular charter flights could commence once the relevant agreements were signed.

According to Ustel, the proposed air connection serves to expand cooperation in tourism, trade and higher education.

He argued that improved transport links would increase visitor numbers and facilitate closer economic and cultural ties.

The remarks were made during a cultural event held in the Azerbaijani capital, attended by officials from Azerbaijan, Turkey and the north.

Ustel used the occasion to praise relations between the parties and expressed gratitude to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for what he described as continued support.

Ustel also referred to recent participation by representatives of the north in meetings connected to the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), where the north holds observer status.

He described recent engagement within the organisation as a significant step towards expanding cooperation with Turkic-speaking states.

During his address, Ustel said relations with Azerbaijan had developed across multiple sectors and pointed to education and tourism as areas of growing interaction.

He described Azerbaijani students studying in universities in the north as contributors to closer ties between the two sides.

Addressing the issue of air transport, Ustel said “significant progress” had been achieved regarding charter flights and expressed confidence that services would begin once cooperation agreements were finalised.

Direct international air links to the north remain a politically sensitive issue due to the north being recognised only by Turkey, while the Republic maintains that flights to the north operate outside the framework of international aviation agreements and are thus illegal.

No timeline for the commencement of flights was announced, and Azerbaijani authorities have not publicly confirmed any agreement regarding charter services.