Azerbaijan’s territory “attacked” in Turkey — VIDEO

Protests held outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in Turkey have rightly raised serious questions and concerns in Azerbaijan. Targeting the embassy is tantamount to targeting the Azerbaijani state itself. The forces behind these organised demonstrations are known, and official Baku has repeatedly conveyed its concerns and strong objections to the Turkish side. However, it would be entirely wrong to view these events merely as a spontaneous protest by an ordinary crowd.

First, the slogans voiced during the demonstrations are fundamentally misdirected. If the aim is to protest against Israel, these groups should hold their demonstrations outside the Israeli Embassy in Turkey. Using Israel as a pretext to stage a spectacle in front of the Azerbaijani Embassy is, at the very least, an act of hypocrisy and political theatrics.

Second, there is an obvious contradiction at play: although Turkey adopts a sharply critical public stance towards Israel, it continues to maintain trade and economic ties with the country behind the scenes. This reality has been repeatedly reflected in media reports. Under these circumstances, directing the protests specifically against Azerbaijan reveals the underlying nature of the issue.

As the Turks say, everyone should know their limits. Some may criticise or even accuse Azerbaijan under various pretexts because of the position it has taken. However, an embassy that is considered the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan under international law — a piece of Azerbaijani soil in the heart of Turkey — cannot be attacked or interfered with without such actions being directed against the Azerbaijani state itself.

In relations between two brotherly and allied countries, it is difficult to imagine a more serious and dangerous situation than one described as “an attack on Azerbaijan inside Turkey”.

Ismayil Shahli