A peculiar anti-Azerbaijani wave has started in Turkey. Varuzhan Geghamyan

A peculiar anti-Azerbaijani wave has started in Turkey, wrote Turkologist Varuzhan Geghamyan. “Against the backdrop of the attack on Iran, for several days representatives of many public groups in Turkey have been targeting Azerbaijan and particularly President Ilham Aliyev, labeling him as a ‘friend and ally of Israel.’

Even pro-government media outlets have not stayed aside from this trend. Interestingly, as a result, many people in the Turkish social media space are sharing stories about their unsuccessful experiences interacting with Azerbaijan and Azerbaijanis. For example, stories are being shared about how Aliyev’s corrupt regime imposed additional illegal ‘taxes’ on Turkish companies operating in Azerbaijan.

There are also opinions suggesting that ‘Azerbaijan’s policy should be determined not in Tel Aviv, but in Ankara.’ Naturally, this does not mean that Turkey and Azerbaijan are ceasing to be strategic allies.

However, this development is in itself important to understand from the perspective of public perceptions and the instruments of mutual influence in the two countries,” he wrote.