Ilham Aliyev ready to reconcile Russia and Turkey

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, receiving a Turkish delegation headed by the Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, said that Baku is concerned about the tension created in relations between Moscow and Ankara. The head of state noted that the Azerbaijani side is ready to make efforts to reduce and eliminate tensions in Russian-Turkish relations.

Yesterday the deputy head of the Azerbaijani presidential administration, the chief of the administration’s foreign relations department, Novruz Mammadov, also confirmed that Baku is ready to help Russia and Turkey to reduce tension between them. "Turkey is our close ally. Russia is also a close and friendly country for us. Azerbaijan is bound to both countries by historical ties. Our ties with both countries stand at a high level," he wrote on his Twitter page.

Russian political analyst Sergei Markov positively reacted to the initiative of President Ilham Aliyev, stressing in an interview with Vestnik Kavkaza that it is extremely important to articulate the space for a compromise between Russia and Turkey. "Ankara needs a mediator during times of profound distrust from Moscow. Now we see that Ilham Aliyev very neatly opposes conflict, but not against Turkey or Russia. It is a moment of truth, when Azerbaijan can play a very positive role, gradually helping to restore relations in a Russia-Azerbaijan-Turkey triangle," he said.

According to the analyst, Baku could play a role similar to the role played by Minsk in resolving the conflict in Ukraine. "Of course, private mediation is needed to restore confidence. And this is the role of President Aliyev," the expert said.

The Turkish political analyst Hakan Aksay, in his turn, called Azerbaijan a good candidate for the role of mediator. "Our countries really need each other in  trade, energy, tourism and other spheres of human relations," he noted.

"Baku could play a positive role in reconciling Ankara and Moscow," the analyst stressed.

Professor of the Western University, political scientist Fikret Sadykhov, confirmed the fact that Azerbaijan is concerned about the conflict between Russia and Turkey. "This is becoming a factor of regional tension and greatly affects the relations between the two countries. We are actively cooperating in various spheres with both countries and we appreciate these relations," he stressed.

"For the sake of relieving tension, I think Azerbaijan could take part in a mediatory mission and contribute to the settlement of the conflict. It is real, and the President of Azerbaijan has rightly expressed the concern of the Azerbaijani public about the conflict, which affects security in the region," Sadykhov concluded.