Turkey-Azerbaijan Alliance: Historical Ties, Strategic Benefits

Turkey and Azerbaijan have historically had a close relationship, with both countries referring to themselves as one nation, two states. This is due to geographic and cultural proximity, as well as strong economic and military ties. Turkey was one of the first countries to recognise Azerbaijan's independence in 1918 and its restoration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Since then, Turkey has supported Azerbaijan in its efforts to consolidate its independence and preserve its territorial integrity. Both countries have also cooperated on energy projects, with Azerbaijan supplying natural gas to Turkey, and Turkey serving as a gateway for Azerbaijan's energy exports to Europe. However, recent tensions have emerged between the two countries due to differing stances on the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Turkey's unconditional support for Palestine contrasting with Azerbaijan's relatively neutral stance.

Energy and military cooperation

Energy Cooperation

Turkey and Azerbaijan have a close economic partnership, with Turkey negotiating to buy natural gas from Azerbaijan. The two countries, along with Georgia, have cooperated on infrastructure projects such as the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline, the South Caucasus Pipeline, the Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway, and the proposed Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline. These projects bypass Armenia and make Turkey and Azerbaijan key players in European energy security.

Turkey has also played an important role in Azerbaijan's energy production and transport. Turkey was the first country to recognize Azerbaijan's independence in 1991, and the two countries have a common culture, ethnic and religious roots. The close relations between the two countries formed the basis for the development of economic ties.

The Turkish state energy company, TPAO, became a member of a consortium with eleven companies from eight countries, including Azerbaijan. TPAO was elected as the main tool to ensure Turkey's domestic energy demand from alternative sources. TPAO's share in the Azeri Chirag and Deep Water Guneshli oil fields was initially small, but its significance lay in the fact that it was the first time TPAO participated in the development of a field outside of Turkey.

Azerbaijan's SOCAR has also made significant contributions to energy cooperation between the two countries. SOCAR's activities in Turkey began in the second half of the first decade of the 2000s, as the company had become a large international company with sufficient financial capacity and experience in implementing large projects. SOCAR quickly became a key actor in the implementation of Azerbaijan's geo-economic interests in the Black Sea region and the Balkans.

Military Cooperation

Military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey first emerged in 1992, with an agreement signed between the two governments on military education and weapon equipment. The Azerbaijani and Turkish governments have closely cooperated on defense and security since then. In 2010, the Azerbaijani military company Azersimtel announced an agreement with the Turkish Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKE) on launching a joint military facility.

In December 2010, both countries signed treaties that make each other a guarantor in case of an attack by foreign forces. More than 20 Turkish defense industry companies have cooperative and commercial relations with Azerbaijan.

In 2013, TAKM (Organization of the Eurasian Law Enforcement Agencies with Military Status) was formed as an intergovernmental military law enforcement organization of three Turkic countries (Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkey) and Mongolia.

The Azerbaijani military doctrine, adopted in 2010, allows for foreign military bases in Azerbaijan, leading to speculation that Turkey could quarter its troops in the Nakhchivan region, an Azerbaijani exclave surrounded by Armenia and Turkey. While Azerbaijan maintains a base in Nakhchivan that has received heavy Turkish support in the past, there is no official information available about the current scope of military cooperation between the two countries in the exclave.

Mutual defence treaty

The Agreement on Strategic Partnership and Mutual Support, signed by the presidents of Azerbaijan and Turkey, outlines a strategic partnership and security cooperation between the two countries. The agreement consists of 23 articles and five chapters, covering military-political and security issues, military and military-technical cooperation, humanitarian issues, economic cooperation, and common and final provisions.

Under the terms of the treaty, both countries pledge to support each other "using all possibilities" in the event of a military attack or aggression against either nation. This mutual defence treaty strengthens the bond between Azerbaijan and Turkey, with both countries cooperating closely on defence and security matters.

The agreement also covers other aspects of the relationship between the two countries, such as economic cooperation and humanitarian issues. In terms of economic cooperation, Turkey has been negotiating to purchase natural gas from Azerbaijan, recognising the country's rich natural resources in the Caspian Sea. Additionally, the two countries have collaborated on infrastructure projects, such as the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline, the South Caucasus Pipeline, and the Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway, bypassing Armenian territory.

The mutual defence treaty between Azerbaijan and Turkey is a demonstration of the strong relationship between the two countries, which share cultural and linguistic ties as the only two predominantly Turkic countries west of the Caspian Sea. Turkey has been a strong supporter of Azerbaijan's efforts to preserve its territorial integrity and achieve economic growth.

Turkey's support for Palestine

Azerbaijan and Turkey have historically had strong relations, being the only two predominantly Turkic countries located west of the Caspian Sea. Turkey was one of the first countries to recognize Azerbaijan's independence and has supported its efforts to consolidate its independence, preserve its territorial integrity, and develop its economic potential arising from its natural resources.

Now, focusing on Turkey's support for Palestine, as requested:

Turkey has a deep-rooted shared history and strong cultural and social connections with the Palestinian people. In 1975, Turkey initiated official relations with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and was among the first countries to acknowledge the Palestinian State established in exile in 1988. Turkey's relations with Palestine have been a source of humanitarian relief, especially since the start of the Blockade of the Gaza Strip imposed by Israel and Egypt. Turkey has sought to assume Egypt's role as a mediator in the Intra-Palestinian reconciliation process and, along with Qatar, provides the Hamas movement with political, humanitarian, and diplomatic support.

Turkey's stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict has been a significant aspect of its domestic politics, with Palestine long being a cause for Turkey and its people, cutting across almost all political tendencies. This has resulted in Turkish governments treating the conflict as more than just a foreign policy issue.

Turkey's pivot towards the Palestinians and away from Israel is attributed to the conservative and pro-Islamic grassroots of Erdogan's AKP party, as well as his aim to calm conservative-nationalist political groups. Erdogan's rhetoric has often been fierce, referring to Hamas as "freedom fighters" and calling Israel's actions "genocide," comparing them to Hitler's actions. This stance resonates with his support base in Turkey, and he is considered a vocal supporter of the Palestinians.

Azerbaijan's positive attitude towards Israel

Azerbaijan and Israel have had diplomatic relations since 1992, following Azerbaijan's independence from the Soviet Union. Israel formally recognised Azerbaijan's independence in 1991, becoming one of the first states to do so.

The two countries have been strengthening their ties since 2011, and in 2022, Azerbaijan announced it would be opening an embassy in Israel, marking the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Azerbaijan is a major oil supplier to Israel, and in 2021, it was estimated that Israel imported 65% of its oil from Azerbaijan. In 2020, trade between the two countries was approximately 200 million US dollars (excluding oil supplies). In addition, Israel is an important exporter of arms to Azerbaijan. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Israel accounted for 69% of Azerbaijan's major arms imports from 2016 to 2020.

In 2016, Israel's Defence Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, supported Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, calling its position "absolutely justified". Israel also supplied weapons and artillery to Azerbaijan during this conflict.

In February 2024, amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, Azerbaijani President Aliyev met with Israeli President Herzog, reaffirming bilateral relations between the two countries. Azerbaijan has resisted pressure to cut ties with Israel over the Gaza war.

The positive attitude of Azerbaijan towards Israel can be attributed to several factors:

• Oil and energy cooperation: Azerbaijan meets a significant portion of Israel's crude oil demand, and in return, Israel supplies Azerbaijan with weaponry.
• Security and defence: Israel has helped modernise the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, providing battlefield aviation, artillery, and anti-tank and anti-infantry weaponry.
• Countering Iran: Both countries share a distrust of Iran, and their cooperation is seen as a way to counter Iran's aggressive ambitions in the region.
• Diaspora politics: There are around 30,000 Jews living in Azerbaijan, primarily in Baku and the Qırmızı Qəsəbə settlement in the Quba district.
• Memory politics of the Armenian genocide: Israel's support for Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is partly due to its recognition of the Armenian genocide.

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is an ethnic and territorial conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, inhabited mostly by ethnic Armenians until 2023, and seven surrounding districts, inhabited mostly by Azerbaijanis until their expulsion during the 1990s. The conflict escalated into a full-scale war in the early 1990s following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

The First Nagorno-Karabakh War (1988-1994):

In 1988, ethnic Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh demanded the transfer of what was then the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) from Soviet Azerbaijan to Armenia. As the Soviet Union collapsed, tensions grew into an outright war. When fighting ceased in 1994, Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent districts were wholly or partially controlled by Armenian forces. More than a million people had been forced from their homes: Azerbaijanis fled Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and the adjacent territories, while Armenians left homes in Azerbaijan. The first Karabakh war resulted in roughly thirty thousand casualties and created hundreds of thousands of refugees.

Relative Stability and Border Clashes (1994-2020):

From 1994 until 2020, there were intermittent deadly incidents, including the use of attack drones and heavy weaponry on the front lines and activities of special operations forces. In April 2016, four days of intense fighting at the line of separation killed hundreds on both sides.

The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War (2020):

Full-fledged war resumed on September 27, 2020. Six weeks of bloody armed conflict ended in the early hours of November 10 with a ceasefire brokered by Russia. The deal brought an end to the deadliest fighting the region had witnessed in nearly three decades, with over 7,000 military and about 170 civilians killed and many more wounded. Under the agreement, Azerbaijan regained full control of the seven districts adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh and a substantial part of Nagorno-Karabakh itself. The rest is patrolled by a Russian peacekeeping force but still governed by self-proclaimed local authorities.

Ongoing Border Tensions and Blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh (2021-2023):

Following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, Azerbaijan has made numerous incursions into Armenian territory and has regularly violated the ceasefire agreement, provoking cross-border fights with Armenia. In December 2022, Azerbaijan launched a blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh, cutting off food, fuel, and medicine supplies to the region and creating a humanitarian crisis. In September 2023, Azerbaijan launched a military offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, resulting in a ceasefire agreement and the dissolution of Artsakh on January 1, 2024. Faced with the prospect of rule by Azerbaijan, more than one hundred thousand people, almost all of Nagorno-Karabakh's remaining population, fled to Armenia.

Frequently asked questions