BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 16. The Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation has made a statement regarding the act of vandalism committed against the statue of the well-known Azerbaijani poetess Khurshudbanu Natavan in France, TurkicWorld reports.

"The Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation strongly condemns the immoral action against the statue of the well-known Azerbaijani poetess Khurshudbanu Natavan in France and considers this as an act of vandalism committed against the ancient and rich Turkic cultural heritage.

The Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation demands that such actions be prevented and that no efforts be spared in preserving Turkic cultural heritage around the world," the statement reads.

Meanwhile, in May 2015, a Charter of Friendship and Cooperation was signed in Ismayilli between the city of Ismayilli of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the city of Évian-les-Bains of the French Republic. The purpose of signing the charter at the time was to develop friendly relations between the two cities and contribute to bilateral relations in the fields of culture, tourism, and economy. Substantial steps were taken in this regard, including reciprocal visits.

As a continuation of the cooperation, opening ceremonies of the Azerbaijani Garden, the Friendship Spring in a park, and the statue of prominent Azerbaijani poet Khurshudbanu Natavan, were held in the city of Évian in 2017. However, the statue of Khurshidbanu Natavan was vandalized in December 2023.