Azerbaijan will not change its relationship with Israel in response to Turkish concerns, even as unresolved differences continue to affect ties between Baku and Ankara, Azerbaijani political analyst Ilgar Velizade said.
In an interview with the Daily Europe Online YouTube channel, Velizade said dialogue remained necessary for both countries despite tensions that have surfaced at different levels.
Discussing President Ilham Aliyev’s reported absence from a summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Turkey, Velizade linked the situation to continuing conflicts of interest between Azerbaijan and Turkey. He said contacts had not been frozen, but that disagreements were still evident.
Velizade said the Turkish side had tried to address Azerbaijan’s dissatisfaction, including by removing presidential adviser Saral after a controversial post. In his view, however, Baku could regard such decisions as temporary steps taken ahead of the summit.
“More substantial actions are needed to show that the Turkish side has reconsidered its recent steps,” Velizade said.
He identified Ankara’s attitude toward Azerbaijan’s cooperation with Israel as one source of tension and said Baku did not intend to alter its foreign policy because of Turkish dissatisfaction.
Velizade cautioned against interpreting limited Azerbaijani media coverage of the summit as a separate political protest. A presidential appearance would naturally draw far more coverage, he said, while extensive reporting on events involving Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan also reflected bilateral visits by those countries’ presidents to Turkey.
TRIPP Documents Advance, but Construction Details Remain Unclear
Velizade separately criticized the lack of concrete public information about the practical implementation of the TRIPP transport project in Armenia.
Reports about agreements, a joint structure and the ratification of documents had not answered the main questions, he said: when work would begin, who would serve as contractor and how construction would be organized.
Velizade pointed to differing construction timelines cited by Armenian officials and said successive procedures and announcements created the impression that the project’s practical phase was being delayed.
“We do not see the construction itself,” he said.
By comparison, he said, Azerbaijan has published information about the contractor, progress and cost of work on its section of the railway. Comparable public detail about the Armenian section was still lacking, he said.
Velizade said he nevertheless expected construction to begin and that his criticism concerned the timetable and transparency of preparations.
Gas Competitors Can Still Cooperate
On energy, Velizade said competition among gas producers did not eliminate shared interests. Exporters need to retain customers and maintain predictable supplies, he said.
Prolonged supply instability and excessively high prices can push consumers toward other energy sources, giving producers an incentive to consult and cooperate through mechanisms including swap arrangements, he said. Such arrangements can help participants retain customers and earn revenue even when they compete in some markets.
Source: Vesti Baku