TODAY.AZ / Politics

Lies about Azerbaijan - where does it come from?

15 August 2024 [16:00] - TODAY.AZ
By Leyla Tarverdiyeva, Day.Az


Various kinds of provocative stuffing that have recently appeared in foreign media and then spread by social networks are not special cases, but a system. Its contours are already clearly visible in the disinformation attack on Azerbaijan. This attack does take place, although it is not as brazen as in the old days. 

The situation in the Global South is becoming increasingly tense, and those who want to remain neutral are increasingly annoying those who are planning an explosion in the region. Everyone expects something from Azerbaijan, as the most prominent figure in the South Caucasus, which has a certain influence. Namely, the choice. 

No one expects anything from Georgia, because it has limited opportunities. No one expects anything from Armenia, because it is an empty place. Everything will be solved for her, but there are problems with Azerbaijan. It is very difficult to work with countries that have their own way of looking at things and do not allow themselves to be drawn into other people's games. The poster "Have you chosen which side you're on?" It has never been relevant for Baku. Moreover, regardless of who is posting it - friends or foes.

Attempts to force Baku to make a choice are not made directly, but it is impossible not to notice them. They were noticed in Armenia and were very happy. Lately, Yerevan has been quiet, as if waiting for something. They are waiting for Azerbaijan to be distributed and expect to take a bite of the pie. After all, it is impossible not to notice that the situation that has developed since the assassination of the head of Hamas in Tehran is heating up by leaps and bounds. And neither side likes Azerbaijan's unwillingness to join the bacchanal. 

The silence in the Armenian propaganda space, I think, is more related to this factor than to Nikol Pashinyan's vacation. The Armenian-Azerbaijani track is calm. because the Armenian side is waiting. He is waiting to see who will put the squeeze on Baku - the new guardians of Armenia, Iran or someone else. All these parties have their own interests in the current situation. Azerbaijan also has them, and they consist in maintaining neutrality. This is a very difficult task when you are in the epicenter, but difficult does not mean impossible. There have been more difficult times for our country, when it was still weak and drained of blood by the Armenian aggression and the loss of territories. 

But even then, no one managed to make him bend. As President Ilham Aliyev once stated, "Azerbaijan has never adjusted to the policies of its large neighbors, the country has always had its own policy, which was formed on the principles of international law, justice, decisions and documents of international organizations, as well as wisdom." This is a very successful policy, as there is plenty of evidence.

Baku has always had and has its own view of things and what to do to ensure the interests and security of the state and the people. The Azerbaijani leadership has never turned national interests into a bargaining chip in the "amusements" of external players. And who better than our neighbors and partners to know about it.

The Media Development Agency has already issued a statement regarding the latest fakes in the media, planted in order to put Azerbaijan under attack and drag it into the vortex of conflict. The statement stressed that such messages are information manipulation, do not reflect reality and are aimed at misleading local and international audiences.

Recall that a number of foreign media outlets spread misinformation about Azerbaijan's alleged involvement in the assassination of the Hamas leader, about Tehran's alleged plans to bomb facilities on Azerbaijani territory, and about allegedly warning Israel to its military personnel (?) not to stay in Azerbaijan. In all cases, it was established that the news was fake, but before that they had already done their job.

As President Ilham Aliyev said at a recent media forum in Shusha, sometimes we are surprised that the information disseminated about Azerbaijan in the international media is true. Before that, we were used to misinformation about ourselves.


The current situation is not new at all. Azerbaijan constantly has to repel such attacks. Let's recall some points. In 2012, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry had to respond in the same way to publications in a number of foreign media outlets that reported Baku's "intention" to provide Israel with its military facilities in the event of a campaign against Iran. The Armenian Foreign Ministry said: "Azerbaijan will never allow third countries to use its territory against neighboring states."

"Under no circumstances will we allow Azerbaijani territory to be used against Iran," then-Defense Minister Abiyev said at the same time during a visit to Tehran.

Two years later, the topic was again actualized by external manipulators, and the new Minister of Defense Zakir Hasanov had to once again voice Baku's firm position during his visit to Iran: the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan states that a foreign state cannot have a military base in the country. There will be no threat to Azerbaijan's neighbors from the territory of our country, it will not allow anyone to use itself as a platform for attacking neighboring states.

Last year, fake news was thrown into the media again, this time in more detail. It was claimed that Azerbaijan allegedly prepared an airfield to assist Israel in the event of its attack on Iran, and also allowed the Mossad to establish a branch in the country (!)... 

That such a thing could not possibly be true was clear from the very beginning. The Azerbaijani Ambassador to Israel, in an interview with The Jerusalem Post, reinforced this opinion, categorically stating the impossibility of such a development of events. "Azerbaijan has stated from the very beginning that it will not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries and will not allow its territory to be used against other countries. This is because we expect other countries not to interfere in our internal affairs," the Azerbaijani diplomat said.

How such fakes are born, we will not guess. The interest circles are the same today as they were ten years ago. A big game has been played around Azerbaijan for a long time, but it has not been possible to get close to it in any way. That's the main thing. And this has always been very upsetting for our Armenian neighbors. They are still hoping to take the cream off the regional crisis. Armenians remember that once upon a time, in the wake of bloodshed, they received foreign lands. Why not dream?

Armenia has already allowed Americans to settle on its borders with Iran and hopes that, if anything happens, the United States will cover it with its broad back. But according to the results, it will be possible to get more territories for loyalty and obedience.

This country is used to acting on the principle of "it's not my fault, he came himself", she knows that no one takes her seriously and therefore will not be very angry with her. In principle, there is something in such reasoning. We see that Iran does not react in any way to the real strengthening of the Western military presence in Armenia, while focusing on the non-existent Israeli presence in Azerbaijan and the Zangezur corridor, which does not threaten it in any way. It must be admitted that the Armenian side is not so wrong in its expectations. And therefore, it is not without Armenian participation that branches are thrown into the bonfire, paid disinformation is thrown into the foreign media in the hope of discrediting Baku

A certain political scientist Grigor Balasanyan stated in an interview with the Armenian media that "Armenia should take advantage of the current difficult situation of Azerbaijan and offer an alternative option of negotiations with Baku through Russia and Iran." By an alternative option, he means the possibility of forcing Baku in the current situation to withdraw its demands on the Zangezur corridor, on the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia and on the return of Azerbaijanis to Armenia. According to political scientist Balsanyan, there are many other options to overplay the situation in his favor.

In fact, Armenia has no options to overplay the situation in its favor. Neither by the hands of the West, nor by the hands of Russia or Iran. And Armenia may not have time to see the light, because if the South Caucasus really gets involved in the conflict, it will be the first to disappear from the world map.
URL: http://www.today.az/news/politics/251768.html

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