Preconditions & Compromises
The topic of preconditions continues to remain an important part of Azerbaijani official discourse. During a November 4 interview with Italian La Republica News Agency, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that Azerbaijan will not accept Armenia’s precondition of accepting self-determination in Karabakh. Azerbaijan’s preconditions are the withdrawal of Armenian Armed Forces from the seven regions surrounding Karabakh.
Additionally, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s phone conversations with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Aliyev received a strong response in Azerbaijani media – the topic was widely addressed by a number of experts and politicians. Azerbaijani political scientist Hikmet Hajizade said that Azerbaijan has chosen wisely to refrain from attacking and threatening the borders of the Republic of Armenia and the Russian military base there.
Parliament Deputy Fazail Ibrahimli noted that regardless of Russian pressure, Azerbaijan will not agree to any compromise on the Nagorno Karabakh issue, because it is fighting in its own territories.
The unwillingness of the Azerbaijani side to compromise is also noticeable in its public. Results of a poll conducted in Baku on November 4 show that Azerbaijani citizens generally ruled out living together with Armenians.
Minorities
Azerbaijan’s state propaganda tries to show that the country’s national minorities are united and fully support Ilham Aliyev in the current war. On November 4, pro-government Baku TV presented a Russian woman living in Baku, whose children expressed readiness to fight against Armenians for the sake of their homeland. According to the Russian woman, there are many such young Russians in Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan’s display of minority unity extends most significantly to the Talysh community in the country who have previously expressed disapproval for Aliyev, claiming that he disproportionately sends minority soldiers to the frontline.
On October 19, TolishMedia reported that Azerbaijani mothers have issued a statement demanding that the authorities in the country answer why their sons were sent to the frontlines and killed.
“Our sons are sacrificing their lives to preserve the corrupt dictatorship of Ilham Aliyev. These days our sons are fighting not to return our sacred lands, but to maintain Aliyev’s power,” the statement said.
Turkey
The Turkish side continues to show support to Azerbaijan on various platforms. On November 3, Savj Sayan, the Mayor of Ağrı Province in Turkey, said that Mount Ararat will soon be illuminated in the colors of Azerbaijani-Turkish flags.
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