NATO member Türkiye must be urged to rein in Azerbaijan |

armenian mirror observer

By Sheila Paylan

At a NATO summit in Washington in July, Turkey was criticized for its double game in the Ukraine war: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made it clear that he hoped the 32 NATO members would not take sides under the auspices of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Vladimir PutinNATO leaders should be equally concerned about this troublesome ally’s dalliance with another autocrat, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev.

Turkey’s relationship with Azerbaijan is at the heart of the contradiction, severely undermining Turkey’s viability as a Western ally, but it can be resolved in a way that truly promotes progress in the region and reshapes Ankara as a good-faith player.

Since the beginning of the Gaza war, Turkey has been a strong critic of Israel, describing its stance as moral and speaking the language of justice on behalf of the world’s oppressed. This effort to claim justice stands in stark contrast to Turkey’s strong alliance with Azerbaijan, a country that has taken truly heinous actions against its neighbors and its own people (and has close ties with Israel, but Turkey doesn’t seem to care).

Sheila Perrin

Just over a week ago Hamas After invading Israel, Azerbaijan carried out a massive ethnic cleansing of ethnic Armenians in the former autonomous republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, the historic heartland of the Armenian people, who have the world’s oldest Christian civilization (dating back to 301). Azerbaijan starved 120,000 people in the region for 10 months through a brutal blockade — an action Israel strongly opposes.

The International Court of Justice has repeatedly ordered a halt to this practice, but to no avail. Luis Moreno-Ocampo, former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, called it genocide (based on Article 2C of the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide) — Again to no avail. In September 2023, Azerbaijan launched an attack that forced the entire population of Nagorno-Karabakh to flee in a matter of days, and the Azerbaijani army also arrested the leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh. They are now being held hostage and put on a sham trial. Since then, Azerbaijan has been busy erasing any trace that the Armenians were ever there.

Turkey has called Israel’s actions in Gaza “genocide” and has armed Armenian-hating Azerbaijan and provided diplomatic cover for its actions. Turkey, of course, continues to vehemently deny that the Ottoman Empire committed a genocide against the Armenians, although there is no doubt that some 1.5 million Armenians were killed in the years since 1915.

Azerbaijan’s atrocities in Nagorno-Karabakh are not the end of the matter. Azerbaijan’s President Aliyev has repeatedly hinted that he also has designs on Armenian territory itself. The landlocked country of 3 million may be small, but it is inconveniently located for Azerbaijan’s hopes of creating a land bridge to Turkey. Turkey quietly shares this goal, as Erdogan’s neo-Ottoman ambitions would be fulfilled by direct access to Azerbaijan and other similar Central Asian Turkic states.

Therefore, can we expect Azerbaijan to eventually try to seize part of Armenia through its so-called ““Zangezul Corridor.” The project aims to connect Azerbaijan to its exclave of Nakhchivan through the southern Armenian province of Syunik. If Azerbaijan tries to seize land, it will use weapons provided by Turkey – from missile systems and armored vehicles to drones, electronic warfare systems and anti-tank systems. One can even expect Turkey to provide Azerbaijan with Syrian mercenaries Just like during the Nagorno-Karabakh war in 2020. This would be a blatant attack on the concept of world order and territorial integrity.

Aliyev did all this while presiding over a regime that is considered by all global watchdogs to be one of the most oppressive in the world (see This report Excerpted from Freedom House).

How can Turkey, a NATO member that at least in theory wants to maintain close ties with NATO (if not membership) European Unionis it possible to prove all this?

Historically, Turkey’s foreign policy has been a complex web of strategic alliances and ideological posturing. Under Erdogan, Turkey has sought to leverage nationalist sentiment and historical grievances to consolidate domestic power while pursuing an aggressively independent foreign policy (the current two-pronged approach with Russia is an example, which includes stalling and blocking Finland and Sweden from joining NATO).

This approach has often put Turkey at odds with international norms and expectations. The classic authoritarian democracy that Erdogan has established is part of this rebellion, with the executive wielding vast powers and opponents — whether generals, judges or journalists — jailed.

The result has created significant challenges, including economic instability, internal divisions, and strained relations with Western allies. For Turkey to step back and resolve these tensions would require a major shift in its foreign policy.

It should start by acknowledging the Armenian genocide, or at least stop denying it. This would not only heal historical wounds, but also restore some moral high ground. Moreover, if Turkey wishes to be taken seriously as a leader and a state with any moral authority, it must reconsider its close alliance with Azerbaijan. It must ask itself whether this alliance is based on mutual respect and shared values, or merely on short-lived strategic needs that could subject it to legitimate criticism and diplomatic isolation.

One key area where Turkey can demonstrate its commitment to a principled foreign policy is its stance on the so-called “Zangezur Corridor.” If Turkey is to be seen as a responsible regional power, it must ensure that Azerbaijan does not resort to military aggression to open up this corridor. Turkey should also actively promote the eventual normalization of relations with Armenia and the opening of border crossings, whether Azerbaijan is willing to do so or not.

Turkey’s role should be one of mediation and restraint, ensuring that any developments in the region are achieved through diplomacy rather than force. The Erdogan regime must recognize that unwavering support for Azerbaijan’s aggressive ambitions undermines Turkey’s moral and strategic interests. By encouraging Azerbaijan to engage in peaceful negotiations and respect Armenia’s territorial integrity, Turkey can take an important step toward restoring its credibility.

Turkey has the potential to play a constructive role in the South Caucasus — but it may need some nudging. Ankara’s NATO allies should insist that Erdogan stop enabling Aliyev’s aggression and instead use its influence to rein in one of the world’s most untrustworthy regimes.

(Sheila Paylan (@SheilaPaylan) is a human rights lawyer with more than 15 years of experience advising the United Nations. She regularly consults with a variety of international organizations, non-governmental organizations, think tanks and governments. This opinion piece was originally published in the online version of Newsweek on July 24.)