Ambassador Mammadov’s “disclosure”. The maximalism of the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem and Yer

Ambassador of Azerbaijan in Ankara Rashad Mammadov “revealed” when the Turkish-Armenian border will be opened.

According to the Azerbaijani mass media, in his statement to the Turkish “Cumhuriyet” newspaper, the Azerbaijani diplomat said that the borders will be opened after the June 7 parliamentary elections in Armenia and subsequent constitutional changes. Rashad Mammadov also responded to the claims that Turkey wants to open the borders with Armenia, but Azerbaijan is against it. The ambassador stated that constant consultations are held between Ankara and Baku, and the process of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations is proceeding parallel to the normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations.

He added that after the June 7 parliamentary elections, it is expected to remove the so-called “territorial claims” from the Armenian constitution through amendments. Mammadov noted that after that, the peace treaty initialed in the USA between Azerbaijan and Armenia will be signed. The ambassador emphasized that at the end of this process, along with the Armenian-Turkish borders, the Armenian-Azerbaijani borders will also be opened. A few days ago, RA Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan announced that the Armenian-Turkish dialogue is so mature that at any moment there can even be a complete settlement.

While the RA authorities made the so-called peace theme the main theme of their pre-election campaign, the statement of the Azerbaijani ambassador in Ankara proves once again that Turkey and Azerbaijan continue the policy of harsh preconditions and synchronized pressures on Armenia. This diplomatic concept clearly shows that Ankara and Baku refuse to be guided by such a fundamental principle of international law as the establishment of bilateral relations without preconditions.

Instead, the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem is using the “interdependence” tactic to advance its own agenda, directly conditioning the opening of the Armenia-Turkey border and the regulation of relations and taking Armenian-Azerbaijani processes hostage.

It is also noteworthy how the Turkish-Azerbaijani alliance interferes in the internal political and institutional processes of Armenia, violating the norm of non-interference in the internal affairs of states. Linking the opening of the borders with specific dates and the Mother Law of Armenia is a manifestation of classic political blackmail.

The Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem is trying to legitimize its own imposed agenda through external coercion, turning the Armenian processes and electoral rounds into a tool to satisfy its own demands. This aims to maximally weaken Armenia’s negotiating positions from now on, forcing the Armenian side to make unilateral concessions at the expense of sovereignty.

Ultimately, this policy exposes the falsehood of Ankara and Baku’s rhetoric about establishing lasting peace in the region. The signing of the “Peace Treaty” and the opening of the borders are presented not as the beginning of the formation of an atmosphere of regional cooperation and trust, but as the end result of Armenia’s servitude. By conditioning bilateral relations with the whims of a third party (in this case, Azerbaijan), Turkey refuses to be a constructive actor in the region.

As a result, this maximalist strategy adopted by the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem does not contribute to the integration and stability of the South Caucasus, but maintains geopolitical tension by using the lifting of the blockade of Armenia as a lever for constant political pressure.

In this complex geopolitical context, the apparent disproportion of the reactions of the RA authorities and the application of double standards become prominent. In the event that official Yerevan reacts to the statements from the Russian Federation with an extremely sharp and public rebuttal, as today the RA Foreign Minister sharply emphasized that it is not from the Russian Federation that they should say that EEU and EU membership are incompatible, showing a strong sovereign attitude, full commitment is shown to the direct threats and preconditions of the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem.

Or sometimes at the level of the Minister of Foreign Affairs there is a soft answer that the amendment of the RA Constitution is an internal matter of the RA. The authorities of Armenia not only do not show adequate political resistance to the demands imposed by Baku and Ankara regarding the amendment of the Constitution or other sovereign issues, but in practice they fulfill them step by step while continuing to welcome the “peace agenda” and even publicly thank Ilham Aliyev.

This approach shows the deep imbalance of the foreign policy, where tolerant tactics are applied to the hostile tandem extracting concessions, and the tactical line of intolerance is chosen in relations with the allies.

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