Recep Erdogan in Karabakh: Will it be possible to melt the ice of mistrust between Turkey and Azerbaijan?
On November 8, the President of Turkey, Recep Erdogan, visited Karabakh to participate in the Victory Day 2020 celebrations. Following the talks in Shusha, the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, said that throughout the 44-day war, Erdogan and the "brotherly Turkish people" were close to his country, and "Turkish unity and brotherhood". Those "trying to weaken the brotherhood of the two countries will not achieve their goals either today or tomorrow," the Turkish leader assured, adding that Ankara supports "Azerbaijan's efforts to establish sustainable peace" in the region, recites poetry and clearly tries to ease the tensions created between the two allied countries, which we described in detail in the previous materials.
Despite the dismissal of an adviser who allowed himself to criticize some steps of the Baku government, and other conciliatory gestures, President Ilham Aliyev never made it to the summit of the Organization of Turkic States, held in Ankara on October 29-30. On November 5, Erdogan told reporters that he called Aliyev and sent the head of the National Intelligence Organization and the foreign minister to Azerbaijan. "In addition, "telephone diplomacy" was conducted and continues to be conducted both with Mr. Ilham himself and between our spouses," Erdogan said. "They also attach great importance to Victory Day on November 8. "I have always claimed that our relations with Azerbaijan go far beyond normal diplomatic ties." There is an "unbreakable bond" between the two nations, based on shared history, culture and destiny, the Turkish leader recalled.
Nevertheless, articles critical of Ankara continue to be published in Baku, and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Piden's recent visit to Baku was treated with a hint of disdain.