Is Türkiye seeking to open its border with Armenia without Azerbaijan’s consent? Tensions exposed

The confusion and tensions surrounding this issue stem precisely from the critical point you have raised.

A closer look at recent developments suggests that, before a final peace agreement is signed between Baku and Yerevan — and, most importantly, before the Zangezur corridor issue is definitively resolved — there appears to be an unusual sense of urgency on the Turkish side to open the border with Armenia unilaterally, without Azerbaijan’s full consent. Naturally, our official representatives have reportedly conveyed their serious concerns through diplomatic channels, informing the other side that this approach runs counter to Baku’s interests.

However, it appears that certain circles in Ankara failed to take these legitimate concerns into account in a timely manner and instead treated the issue with a degree of indifference. Shortly afterwards, a peculiar atmosphere began to emerge in the information space.

A coordinated smear campaign against Azerbaijan was launched on social media, allegedly involving organised troll networks. For a long time, we remained restrained and silent out of respect for our brotherly ties and to avoid damaging relations. Yet subsequent developments only intensified the pressure.

When an Azerbaijani diplomat remained in the hall during an address by the Israeli prime minister at the UN General Assembly, this was used as a pretext to unleash harsh and unjust accusations against our country. It was as though some had been waiting for a special opportunity to target Baku’s independent foreign policy.

Furthermore, the Cabinet’s decision on uniform school dress codes was drawn into the same controversy, fuelling the situation and creating artificial polarisation within society. The result was widespread confusion and discord.

These successive episodes of tension are by no means isolated from one another. Rather, they represent different pretexts through which the same political pressure and underlying discontent are being expressed. This is precisely why the issue you raised strikes at the root of the problem and brings the alleged underlying dynamics into Ismayil Shahli