Azerbaijan is not the Crimean Khanate, and Türkiye is not the Ottoman Empire

Being “one nation, two states” does not mean “one state, one political position.” Azerbaijan is Türkiye’s brother, but it is not a state subordinate to anyone.

TodayPress TV reports that political analyst Turan Rzayev made the remarks.

“As is known, a campaign against Azerbaijan has been launched in the Turkish social media sphere because the Azerbaijani delegation did not leave the hall during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. As usual, insulting remarks are once again being directed at our country, our people and our leadership. I do not view this incident merely as an emotional reaction from a few social media users. This is because it is not the first time this has happened, and approaches reflecting pressure, accusations and a condescending attitude toward Azerbaijan have been repeated many times,” he said.

He noted that a matter of principle needs to be clarified.

“Azerbaijan is not an enemy of Türkiye, but neither is it Türkiye’s younger brother, nor is it in any way a state subordinate to it. Azerbaijan is an independent, sovereign and equal state. The historical, national, cultural and spiritual ties between Türkiye and Azerbaijan are extremely strong. The expression ‘one nation, two states’ reflects the essence of these relations. However, ‘one nation’ does not mean ‘one state.’ On the contrary, respect for the independence, sovereignty and political choices of the two states is the fundamental condition of this brotherhood. Azerbaijan calling Türkiye its brother does not mean renouncing its own statehood and political will. Likewise, Türkiye calling Azerbaijan its brother does not give Ankara the right to determine Baku’s political decisions.

I say this because I see approaches comparing Türkiye’s attitude toward Azerbaijan with the relationship between the Ottoman Empire and the Crimean Khanate. Yes, the Crimean Khanate was also Turkic and had a special relationship with the Ottoman Empire. However, the Crimean Khanate was a vassal of the Ottoman Empire. Azerbaijan is not the Crimean Khanate, and Türkiye is not the Ottoman Empire. Azerbaijan can stand by Türkiye, support it and consider Türkiye’s pain its own. But this does not mean that Azerbaijan must repeat Türkiye’s political position on every issue. Brotherhood is not submission, alliance is not subordination, and friendship does not mean giving up political sovereignty.”

The analyst also recalled that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly stressed the importance of establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital:

“Azerbaijan provides economic and humanitarian assistance to Palestine, supports resolutions in favor of Palestine at the UN, and has a representation operating in Palestine. In this regard, the fact that Azerbaijan’s relations with Israel are being discussed more in Türkiye than the Palestinian issue raises questions. I do not consider this campaign to be merely the work of a group of social media users. At the same time, there are enough people in Türkiye who love Azerbaijan and value the brotherly relations between the two countries. We will not turn away from our brotherly state because of the behavior of one group or one approach. However, they should not remain silent in the face of such campaigns against Azerbaijan either.”

Jala Rovshan