Struggle for influence: Azerbaijan tries to prevent a clash between 2 of its close allies
After seizing Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenia in 2023 and backing Pakistan against India during the recent India-Pak clash, Azerbaijan is now using its close relations with Israel and Turkey to defuse tensions between the regional competitors in Syria, The Eurasian Times writes.
As noted, in May 2025, Azerbaijan emerged as a vocal supporter of Pakistan amid escalating tensions with India, following the Indian military operation, “Operation Sindoor”.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s top foreign policy adviser, Hikmet Hajiyev, confirmed that Baku has hosted more than three rounds of talks between Turkey and Israel, who are both operating in Syria to reduce what they see as security threats. As noted, the overthrow of Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad by Islamist-led HTS rebels, with Turkey’s blessing, sparked security concerns in Israel.
It has since staged hundreds of strikes deep inside Syria, the latest on Friday, to allegedly stop advanced weapons from falling into the hands of Syria’s new authorities, whom it sees as jihadists. Israel has accused Ankara of seeking to turn Syria into a Turkish protectorate, raising fears of a confrontation. As a close ally and strategic partner of Turkey, Azerbaijan has consistently aligned itself with Ankara’s positions on key international matters, including the Syrian issue. But it also enjoys good relations with Israel — which is very reliant on Azerbaijani oil, and is a major arms supplier to Baku. And now Baku, which has established contacts with Syria’s new rulers, is pushing quiet diplomacy by facilitating technical talks between Turkey and Israel.
“A confrontation between its two best allies in the region is a situation Azerbaijan does not want at all,” Turkish analyst Serkan Demirtas said. As noted, ties between Turkey and Israel have been shattered by Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, with Ankara insisting the talks were only technical. “As long as the war in Gaza continues, Turkey will not normalize ties with Israel,” a senior Turkish official told AFP on condition of anonymity. Turkey has suspended trade with Israel over the war in Gaza. However, some Turkish opposition figures have criticized Ankara, claiming that trade has continued, notably oil shipments via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which transports Azerbaijani oil to the southern port of Ceyhan, from where it is shipped to Israel. Hikmet Hajiyev said Baku had won valuable support from Israel during the Karabakh conflict, but seemed reluctant to comment on the issue of oil. “We bought weapons from Israel during the war, we paid for them (and) Israel gave us diplomatic support,” he said.
“Azeri oil is coming to Ceyhan, but once that oil is loaded onto ships that sail on the open seas, you cannot control the final destination,” Hajiyev stated. “These are the rules of the world oil market.” The publication states that Azerbaijan fought two wars with arch-foe Armenia for control of the disputed Karabakh region — one in the 1990s and another in 2020 — before it managed to seize the entire area in a 24-hour offensive in September 2023. Baku is now trying to normalize ties with Yerevan — which, if successful, would be a major breakthrough in a region where major actors, including Russia and Turkey, all jostle for influence.
