On March 12, 2025, an event was held at Baku State University (BSU) to commemorate the adoption of the National Anthem, a symbol of independence of the Republic of Türkiye, and the remembrance day of Mehmet Akif Ersoy. At the event, organized by BSU and Baku Yunus Emre Institute, the university's Vice-Rector Prof. Farda Imanov emphasized in his speech that Azerbaijan-Türkiye relations are based on principles of brotherhood and friendship.
The Dean of the University's Faculty of Oriental Studies, Aydan Khandan, noted that Mehmet Akif Ersoy is always remembered through the Independence March. The head of Baku Yunus Emre Institute, Guven Cholak, stated, "Anatolia and the Caspian hold each other's hands tightly; despite borders, friendship of hearts always remains, which is why people of both countries address each other as 'brothers'." Turkish writer Beshir Ayvazoglu and Turkologist Prof. Elman Guliyev also spoke at the event.
Assoc. Prof. Telman Nusratoglu, Head of the History and Archaeology Department at Khazar University, in his extensive presentation on "Türkiye’s National Struggle History and Mehmet Akif Ersoy," discussed the historical, artistic, and political significance of the Independence March, emphasizing that it is a valuable work reflecting the struggle for independence.
At the end of the event, students from BSU's Faculty of Philology recited poems from Turkish literature.