By AZE.US
Azerbaijani journalist Elchin Alioglu sharply criticized people he says defend Tehran’s policies at the expense of Azerbaijan’s interests, pointing to a gap between friendly language from Iran’s president and the conditions voiced by Tehran’s ambassador in Armenia.
“If you love Iran so much, go live there,” Alioglu said during an appearance on PrimeTV Azerbaijan, in remarks translated from Azerbaijani.
He directed the challenge at Azerbaijanis whom he believes support Tehran uncritically. His argument was that backing another government’s political line should not be presented as defending Azerbaijan’s interests.
Alioglu contrasted statements by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian with those of Iran’s ambassador in Yerevan. At an August 31 meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Pezeshkian expressed interest in expanding cooperation between the two countries. Aliyev said Azerbaijan favored a peaceful, negotiated resolution of the situation involving Iran.
On September 23, Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Khalil Shirgholami reiterated Tehran’s conditions for the TRIPP transport project. He said it must not undermine Armenia’s sovereignty or territorial integrity or bring a U.S. military presence to the region.
If those conditions were met, he said, Iran would have no reason to oppose a project that benefited Armenia. The ambassador did not reject TRIPP outright; it is Iran’s regional conditions that Alioglu criticized.
The journalist also drew a distinction between Iran’s people and culture, which he praised, and the policies of its government. He warned against underestimating Iran’s power while arguing that Tehran views an independent Azerbaijan as a political challenge. That assessment is Alioglu’s view, not an established account of the intentions of every Iranian official.
Nor should Pezeshkian’s ability to speak a Turkic language be mistaken for a change in Iranian state policy, Alioglu argued: “Pezeshkian is Iran’s president.”
Alioglu also criticized the opposite display of waving Israeli flags in Baku. In his view, public arguments over foreign allies must not eclipse Azerbaijan’s own interests.
AZE.US