Political scientist: "If measures had been taken in time, the campaign would not have reached such a level"

"Over the past few days, the events that unfolded between Azerbaijan and Turkey have been at the center of political and public discussions. It is deeply regrettable that we could have expected such actions and statements from any state, but not from Turkey."

This was stated in a comment to BAKU.WS by Doctor of Philosophy in Political Sciences, political analyst Shabnam Hasanova.

According to her, the phone call from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to President Ilham Aliyev demonstrated that the key factor determining relations between the two countries remains the friendship between the leaders:

"Another regrettable point is that this phone conversation took place belatedly. Had this step been taken in time, the campaign would not have reached such a disgraceful level. After all, the insults directed at the Azerbaijani state, the Azerbaijani people, and its Victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief naturally provoked our outrage and indignation.

In Turkey's largest cities — Ankara and Istanbul — six rallies were organized in front of our embassy and consulate. In essence, these events revealed that certain individuals within the AKP were acting in a networked, systematic format and doing everything possible to bring relations to a crisis level. The identification of these individuals and their declaration as personae non gratae by Azerbaijan was positively received within Turkish society as well. Because it was stated that these individuals are considered undesirable in Turkey itself too. These people seek to sow discord.

Within Turkey, they also do everything possible to create threats. Their actions are nothing other than betrayal. It is precisely these factors that must continue to be thoroughly investigated, and serious measures must be taken regarding the activities of these individuals."

The political analyst added that an alarming point was that the Turkish state did not rein in the processes in time:

"Of course, we are friends, we are brothers. But whether we like it or not, this situation has left a wound in our hearts.

After all, the fact that our Victorious Leader was subjected to slander and insults was unacceptable. This deeply wounded and shocked us. However, a positive aspect was that the necessity of continuing Azerbaijani-Turkish relations on a healthy basis was clearly and unequivocally expressed in the positions of a number of figures. The open declaration of their positions by Binali Yıldırım and Devlet Bahçeli was undoubtedly a positive signal. The campaign conducted within the AKP caused serious discontent not only in Azerbaijan but also in Turkey itself. Supporters of the secular state also raised their voices in protest against this campaign.

This caused damage not only to Azerbaijani-Turkish relations but also harmed Turkish society, striking a blow to its image. At the same time, all these events once again showed who truly loves Azerbaijan and is interested in the development of Azerbaijani-Turkish relations on a solid and healthy foundation."