Azernews.Az

Elnur Enveroglu

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In recent times, the Gaza issue has been turned into a tool of profit for certain opportunistic groups operating behind a façade of religious virtue in different parts of the world. Actions taken under the pretext of condemning states, boycotting companies, or even provoking diplomatic tensions are often carried out with calculated intent, yet regrettably escape wider public scrutiny.

Audiences that focus narrowly on unfolding events can easily become captive to artificial and hypocritical narratives constructed behind the scenes, drawing distorted conclusions from complex realities. In such an environment, emotional mobilisation replaces critical judgement, and manufactured outrage begins to masquerade as moral clarity.

Disinformation, together with coordinated propaganda and agitation campaigns, is now operating with remarkable freedom. In a very real sense, it has taken centre stage, shaping perceptions and steering public sentiment while truth struggles to compete in the noise.

The recent protest actions in Türkiye targeting Azerbaijan’s state energy company SOCAR, alongside Egypt, under the banner of alleged support for Israel, represent not an act of principled solidarity but a deeply misguided and politically corrosive performance. Framed as moral outrage over Gaza, these protests in reality expose a troubling combination of selective activism, ideological manipulation, and deliberate provocation aimed at straining brotherly relations between Azerbaijan and Türkiye, as well as misguiding the masses into a state of disillusionment.

At the heart of these protests lies a fundamental distortion. Azerbaijan is being accused of political alignment with Israel in the context of the Gaza tragedy simply because the energy that originates in Azerbaijan eventually reaches Israeli markets. This argument collapses under even basic scrutiny. Azerbaijan is an independent state, not an ideological proxy. It produces energy and sells it on international markets. Once oil and gas enter global trade flows, they are commodities, not political statements. Energy sold to Europe can be resold to any destination, just as European energy exports reach markets across Asia, Africa and the Middle East. To single out Azerbaijan for this reality is either intellectually dishonest or intentionally malicious.

More importantly, Azerbaijan’s foreign policy is grounded in regional cooperation and strategic balance. It maintains diplomatic relations with Israel, just as it does with Türkiye, Arab states, the European Union and Central Asia. This is not duplicity. It is sovereignty. Azerbaijan’s diplomacy reflects its national interests and its geopolitical environment, not the ideological expectations of protest groups seeking moral absolutism without responsibility.

The attempt to frame Azerbaijan as standing against Palestine is particularly cynical. In the diplomatic sphere, Azerbaijan has consistently voiced support for Palestine and its recognition in the international system. Baku has backed relevant resolutions, supported humanitarian principles and avoided inflammatory rhetoric. Maintaining diplomatic relations with Israel does not negate this position. In fact, many Muslim-majority countries that openly support Palestinian statehood also maintain relations with Israel. Selective outrage aimed only at Azerbaijan reveals that the protests are not about Gaza alone.

The most disturbing aspect of these actions is their potential to poison Azerbaijan-Turkiye relations. SOCAR is not merely a commercial entity. It is a pillar of the strategic partnership between the two states. It represents shared investments, shared infrastructure and shared economic futures. Targeting SOCAR is not an act against Israel. It is an act against the Azerbaijani-Turkish brotherhood. Whether intentional or not, the protests serve as a catalyst for mistrust and resentment between societies whose relationship has been built on solidarity, sacrifice and mutual respect.

This raises a critical question. Who benefits from such actions? Certainly not Palestine. Certainly not Türkiye. Certainly not Azerbaijan. The only beneficiaries are those who seek to fracture regional cooperation, undermine Turkic unity and inject ideological extremism into pragmatic state relations. History offers no shortage of examples where external and internal actors exploit religious sentiment to destabilise alliances. These protests fit uncomfortably well within that pattern.

There is also a profound hypocrisy that cannot be ignored. Roughly thirty years ago, when Armenia occupied Azerbaijani territories, expelled hundreds of thousands of Muslims and committed documented atrocities, these same radical groups operating under the guise of Islamic solidarity were nowhere to be seen. There were no mass protests. No boycott campaigns. No loud denunciations of Armenian revanchism. No outrage over mosques being desecrated or Muslim communities being ethnically cleansed. Silence prevailed.

That silence was not accidental. It revealed that their activism has never been about Muslim suffering as such. It has been about selective mobilisation driven by ideology, convenience and political agendas. When Azerbaijani civilians were massacred, when cities like Khojaly were wiped out, when Muslim heritage sites were destroyed, the world heard nothing from these self-appointed guardians of Islamic conscience. Today, however, they find the energy to accuse Azerbaijan of crimes it has not committed and positions it has not taken.

This inconsistency strips their protests of moral credibility. It exposes them as performative rather than principled. What we are witnessing is not solidarity but spectacle. A group of political drama queens exploiting tragedy to gain attention while disregarding truth, context and long-term consequences.

Türkiye and Azerbaijan share a relationship that goes beyond diplomacy. It is rooted in shared history, shared culture and shared strategic vision. Attempts to weaponise the Gaza tragedy to drive a wedge between them should be recognised for what they are. They undermine not only bilateral trust but also the broader framework of regional cooperation that both states have worked to build.

Azerbaijan’s role in global energy markets is another inconvenient truth ignored by protesters. Baku has emerged as a reliable energy supplier to Europe at a time of unprecedented volatility. Its gas exports contribute to European energy security and economic stability. The same infrastructure that allows Azerbaijani gas to reach Europe is part of a wider global system. Energy flows do not operate on ideological purity tests. They operate on contracts, markets and logistics. To demand that Azerbaijan selectively restrict energy flows based on political narratives would be to demand economic self-sabotage.

Moreover, Azerbaijan’s energy diplomacy has strengthened Türkiye’s role as a transit hub and regional energy power. The Southern Gas Corridor is a shared achievement. Protests against SOCAR, therefore, indirectly target Türkiye’s own strategic interests. This contradiction further highlights the shallow thinking behind these actions.

None of this diminishes the tragedy unfolding in Gaza. Civilian suffering is real and demands humanitarian attention. But moral concern loses legitimacy when it is weaponised selectively and directed irresponsibly. Protests that distort facts, misrepresent state policies and target allies do not advance justice. They deepen divisions and empower those who thrive on chaos.

Azerbaijan has demonstrated that it can maintain balanced relations without surrendering its principles. It has shown that supporting Palestinian rights does not require cutting ties with Israel or abandoning energy cooperation. This is not moral weakness. It is diplomatic maturity.

The danger lies in allowing emotionally charged but politically reckless activism to dictate foreign policy narratives. Azerbaijan will not and should not allow its sovereignty to be questioned by groups that neither understand nor respect the responsibilities of statehood. Nor should Türkiye allow provocations against its closest ally to masquerade as moral virtue.

In an era of global instability, brotherly relations are assets, not liabilities. Those who seek to inflame rather than understand are not defenders of justice. They are instigators of division. Recognising this distinction is essential, not only for Azerbaijan and Türkiye, but for the integrity of regional cooperation as a whole.