Hikmet Hajiyev on Israeli "bases": Let them come and look — they will find nothing
Azerbaijan and Turkey are coordinating their positions on key regional issues and maintaining continuous dialogue.
This was stated by the Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, Hikmet Hajiyev, in an interview with the newspaper "Türkiye."
Noting that the war between Israel/the U.S. and Iran is having a serious impact on regional dynamics, Hajiyev stated: "The likelihood of resolving this crisis in the short term seems low. We respect the stability and territorial integrity of Iran. On the other side of Azerbaijan's 420-kilometer border with Iran live our brothers, with whom we are united by a common religion, language, and roots. For this reason, we monitor the situation with particular sensitivity. We formed our forecast on the Iranian crisis on the basis of the mission that Turkey has taken upon itself. We will not sit at any table where Turkey is not present. A round-the-clock line of consultations and dialogue is in place between us."
Emphasizing in particular that Israeli-Azerbaijani relations can under no circumstances take on a character that infringes upon Turkey's interests, Hajiyev noted: "Forces wishing to spoil our relations are doing their utmost to spread disinformation on this matter. We provide aid to Gaza. We have a representative office in Ramallah. Our other social initiatives aimed at supporting Palestine also continue. We will never become part of any project that contradicts Turkey's interests. The black propaganda about the 'presence of Israeli bases' in Azerbaijan and about Baku allegedly being a 'lifeline' for Israel is a lie concocted by the enemies of Turkey and Azerbaijan. We issue a challenge! Let us walk together over every meter here: is there anything at all here that belongs to Israel? We will grant the authors of these claims the right to conduct an inspection at any place they wish. We cannot remain and do not remain indifferent to Gaza and the suffering of the Palestinian people. The 'two-state' formula there is Baku's red line. Moreover, we take the initiative and carry out a preventive mission with regard to possible crises between Israel and Turkey. The meeting of the Syrian administration with the Israeli delegation in Azerbaijan was also important in this context."
The Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan also shared information on such topics as the Zangezur corridor and the Middle Corridor: "First of all, as the Turkic world, we are creating strong connections in the air, on land, and at sea. The Organization of Turkic States has turned into an economic, trade, and energy artery of global scale. This provides enormous opportunities to strengthen our unity and to leave our mark on history. We are at the final stage on the Zangezur corridor. This summer, practically everything will become clear. Our railway, road, and maritime communications are gaining momentum every day. The epicenter of this common energy of the Turkic world is undoubtedly Turkey. All Turkic states are firmly connected by fiber-optic networks. Systemic integration has largely been completed. Let all the Turkic people look to the future with optimism. We are one big family. In Karabakh, we are trying to erase the traces of occupation. Currently, 13 percent of our country is strewn with Armenian mines. We have spent millions of dollars, and it appears that this struggle will drag on for many more years. We paid a high price for the Armenian occupation of 1993 in Karabakh. However, we say: 'The war is over, the time for peace has come,' and we are making every effort to achieve that peace."
