EurasiaNet: "Baku uses diplomatic means to resolve the situation in the Middle East"

The media portal EurasiaNet, specializing in analysis of the events in Central Asia and the Caucasus region,  writes that Azerbaijan has to balance between Russia and Turkey. The Azerbaijani leadership tries not to cross the fine line between the interests of Moscow and Istanbul on the Syrian issue, trying to correctly build its foreign policy. In an interview with the Austrian newspaper, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan expressed support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, saying that now he is the only guarantee of the integrity and security of Syria. Baku welcomes the political process in which Assad remains in power until the election of his successor.

Such support for Assad means that Azerbaijan is on the side of Russia and Iran, defending the SAR’s statehood. It is also important that the views of Baku and Istanbul differ on the Syrian issue. However, two days after the interview with the Austrian newspaper, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu visited Azerbaijan, and then made statements that Baku is considering joining the ‘anti-terrorist’ coalition under the leadership of Saudi Arabia. However,  this decision was not followed by the Republic of Azerbaijan.

In Baku Cavusoglu tried to eliminate any existing differences with Azerbaijan, knowing that the number of allies of Turkey is getting smaller every day, not only in the region, but throughout the world. Azerbaijan is in a rather difficult position regarding the situation on resolving the crisis in Syria. Certainly, Baku's position is much closer to the position of the Kremlin than Istanbul’s, but the partnership with Turkey also has its importance for the country. At the moment, the state leadership is making every effort to use possible diplomatic means to resolve the situation in the region, indicating that the foreign policy of Azerbaijan is competent and balanced.

The independent US publication TARPLEY.net writes that the radical politics of Erdogan threaten further growth of the instability in the region. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is about to launch a military operation against the Kurds in northern Syria because of a false flag operation carried out by the Turkish security forces. Yesterday the head of Turkey officially accused the organization of People's Protection Units (YPG), which is the military wing of the Kurdish Supreme Committee and is actively involved in the Syrian conflict, of responsibility for the terrorist attack in Ankara. He also called on the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (Britain, China, Russia, USA, France) to solve this problem. In other words, the Turkish leadership declares that it is ready to start military aggression against the Kurds in Syria, also threatening Russia unreasonably.

The lability of the Turkish leader is playing into the hands of the US military and diplomatic strategy, the basic forces of which are aimed at unleashing even more conflict in the Middle East region, which many analysts believe could lead the world to the threshold of World War III. However, despite the statements of Erdogan, most international observers are well aware that the explosion in Ankara is likely to have been organized by the Turkish special services to provide the leadership of the Muslim republic with an opportunenity to deploy together with Saudi Arabia in northern Syria and protect the remnants of the jihadists, who are running from Aleppo exactly to northern Syria to escape the attacks of the Syrian army and the bombing of Russia.

Particular concern is caused due to the fact that Prime Minister Davutoglu warned Moscow that Russia will be responsible for any acts of terrorism taking place in Turkey due to the fault of the Kurds. In addition, the Prime Minister urged the US to come to grips with the YPG, but in fact the Syrian Kurds  oppose Islamic State in Syria extremely effectively. The US leadership must stop these provocative actions promoted by its Middle Eastern partner, otherwise it will be impossible to avoid a deepening of the confrontation not only in the region, but worldwide.