Azerbaijan-Türkiye: United mighty power
Baku-Ankara axis

ANALYTICS  16 September 2022 - 13:21

In these rocky times, the political support of friendly states is of utmost importance for our country. Türkiye is the closest friend and partner, which stands shoulder to shoulder with Azerbaijan, expressing moral and diplomatic support in all its actions.

Ankara is ready to put in place any player in the region, anyone who threatens Azerbaijan and disrupts stability and peace in the South Caucasus by refusing to seek peaceful solutions. Baku undoubtedly has enough forces of its own to tame Armenian revanchism, but the support of loyal friends is invaluable.

From the outset of the military operation on the border, the Turkish political establishment has expressed its full support for Azerbaijan's desire to cleanse Armenian separatism on its territory once and for all. On September 13, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu offered condolences to the Azerbaijani people over the deaths of the Shahid soldiers and outlined Ankara's unequivocal position.

"I express my condolences to the families and friends of the Azerbaijani Army Shahids killed in the clashes on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border, patience to their families, and condolences to the brotherly people. Türkiye will always be with Azerbaijan," Cavusoglu said. He stressed that Armenia should immediately stop provocations and focus on peaceful negotiations and cooperation within the framework of the compromise already achieved with Azerbaijan.

Cavusoglu recalled that Yerevan had long ignored Baku's peace initiatives, continuing provocations in the region. "Naturally, Baku cannot leave Armenia's provocative actions unanswered," the Turkish Minister stated.

As an example, Cavusoglu cited the situation with the city of Lachin, which came under Azerbaijani control at the end of August. "Even when leaving the Lachin district, the Armenians did not stop mining the territories, which demonstrates the insincerity of the Armenian side," he stressed.

The special relationship between Azerbaijan and Türkiye has a long history. Yesterday, National Defence Minister of Türkiye Hulusi Akar congratulated Minister of Defence of Azerbaijan Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov on the 104th anniversary of the liberation of Baku from the Armenian-Bolshevik occupation, which occurred largely thanks to Turkish soldiers. During a telephone conversation with Hasanov, Akar underlined this momentous day for the Azerbaijani people.

For his part, Minister of Defence of Azerbaijan Zakir Hasanov expressed gratitude for congratulations and briefed his colleague in detail on the operational situation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border, assuring that all provocations of the Armenian armed forces have been firmly suppressed. The Turkish defence minister said the Turkish Armed Forces had always supported the Azerbaijani army morally and would continue to do so.

Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu made a post on the occasion of the 104th anniversary of the liberation of Baku from occupation. The Turkish Embassy in Azerbaijan celebrated the event with a gala event. Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan Jahit Bagci honoured the memory of soldiers killed while preventing an Armenian military provocation and expressed his condolences to the families and friends of the Shahids.

"104 years ago, Turkish soldiers, who won great victories on all fronts of Anatolia, under the leadership of Nuru Pasha, came to the aid of their Azerbaijani brothers. In 1918, a great victory was won on the Caucasus front, resulting in the liberation of Baku. The poppies blossoming in every region of Azerbaijan represent our Shahids," the diplomat said figuratively.

Bagci also highlighted Azerbaijan's victory in the 44-day war, thanks to which the Azerbaijani lands were liberated from the nearly 30-year Armenian occupation. "The unjust claim of Armenians on Karabakh is not over, but as Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said, 'The Iron Fist' is in place,'" the ambassador said.

The fact that Türkiye, a NATO member, always sides with Azerbaijan cuts out Baku's enemies and political opponents from launching any initiatives against our country, and the pro-Armenian lobby in Europe also has to reckon with this power factor. The involvement of Turkish Bayraktars in the operation to eliminate the Armenian threat on Azerbaijan's border decisively thwarts all of Yerevan's pretensions.

At the same time, according to Turkish political analyst Engin Ozer, who told Caliber.Az that Armenia is practically ready to sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan, Baku, in fact, has left Armenians no other option. It goes without saying that Azerbaijan will not stop if it is necessary to eliminate the activity and infrastructure of Armenian armed formations in the borderland. By prolonging the confrontation, the Armenian troops will only suffer defeat after defeat, while Azerbaijan will take final strategic control of whatever is possible in the borderland. Therefore, the peace treaty is, in fact, inexorable evidence for Armenia, Ozer believes.

As for the relations between Azerbaijan and Türkiye, they, according to the political scientist, rank even higher than neighbourly or strategic.

"It is an allied relationship," Ozer stressed.

At the same time, in his opinion, the multipolar foreign policy of Azerbaijan is developing very successfully. "Ilham Aliyev works with Türkiye in the military-technical field, undertakes the same in relations with Russia, and one does not interfere with the other," he is confident.

Aliyev is using all his trump cards and strategies to prevent destabilisation in the region, and he is succeeding very well, the political scientist believes.

Türkiye, in its turn, according to Ozer, treats Armenian separatism as an extremely dangerous phenomenon and fully supports Baku. At the same time, the Turkish expert thinks that Pashinyan should perhaps be given the last chance to settle the revanchism in Armenia, and then he will have free hands to sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan without reservations. If the revanchists come to power, however, the plans for a peace treaty will be postponed indefinitely.

Caliber.Az