Azernews.Az

Iran has angrily protested at Azerbaijan over what it described as baseless allegations that Iranian secret service was linked to a recent coup attempt.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Iranian embassy labeled the Azerbaijani security bodies' report as actions "by elements in the lower echelons of power", maintaining that the scenario was drawn up by the US and Israeli intelligence as well as some circles within the government.
"We doubt that this scenario was prepared on an instruction of the high-ranking officials of the Azerbaijan Republic. This film aims to undermine the relations between Iran and Azerbaijan," the statement said.
On December 10, Azerbaijan's Grave Crimes Court convicted a group of 15 persons on charges of spying for the Iranian secret service, attempt to stage a coup and establish Islamic law, treason and other grave crimes. Sayid Dadashbayli who headed the ring known as "Sayid's gang" was sentenced to 14 years in jail, while the other defendants were handed down sentences between two and 14 years.
The National Security Ministry said the criminal group had passed to Iranian agents information on Western embassies, companies, pipeline operations and employees operating in Azerbaijan from 2005 to 2006.
"It is a baseless allegation leveled at the Islamic Republic of Iran," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini told reporters.
Hosseini blamed Iran's enemies for attempts to damage Iran's ties with its predominantly Muslim, Shiite northern neighbor.
"We believe that there are foreign elements involved and they are trying to create a difficult situation in the friendly ties with Azerbaijan," he said, demanding that the Azerbaijani government provide documents proving the accusations.
The Iranian embassy cited what it saw as attempts to create "a smoke screen" ahead of Azerbaijan's 2008 presidential elections, and ironically called the National Security Ministry's report "a comedy". It pointed out that ringleader Dadashbayli had worked for a U.S.-Azerbaijani joint venture.
The statement said further that those raising the issue were trying to distract attention of the Azerbaijani public from talks on settling the long-standing Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh. These forces, it claimed, were striving to make Azerbaijan's stance on Iran similar to that of the United States.
The U.S. and Iran have been facing tensions for many decades. Western powers are pressing for UN sanctions against the Islamic republic, charging that Tehran's nuclear program aims to build a nuclear bomb. Iran denies the allegations, saying its uranium enrichment activities are peaceful. The United States has not ruled out a strike on Iran.
The Iranian embassy said the purported scenario also aimed to create the terrorism image of the Shiite creed in Azerbaijan. These efforts target stalling visa-free travel of the two countries' citizens and posing stumbling blocks in the integration process, it said.
Amid tensions, the Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the Azerbaijani ambassador to Tehran Abbasali Hasanov, calling for a formal apology from Baku for the alleged anti-Iran statements.
"We had discussions, but no protest note was forwarded to the Azerbaijani side," Hasanov said.
Hasanov said that given the successful multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries, the best way to resolve the problem was to arrange a meeting between representatives of their security ministries.
"We have suggested holding such a meeting to bring clarity to the matter," the diplomat told a local news agency on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry spokesman Khazar Ibrahim said the government was investigating links between Sayid Dadashbayli's ring and Iranian secret service Sepah.
"The Foreign and National Security Ministries are scrutinizing the details of this controversial issue," he told a news conference.
Ibrahim said Baku's future steps depended on the outcome of the scrutiny. He did not give details, but added: "If a need arises for making a statement or putting forward a stance, we will do so."
Nonetheless, analysts say that Azerbaijani diplomats should have expressed a protest to Iran over its reaction, as the security bodies' statement was based on evidence corroborated in the court of law. Head of the Azerbaijan-Euro-Atlantic Cooperation Association, Sulhaddin Akbar, said it was not the National Security Ministry but the Foreign Ministry that should have submitted proof to Tehran, and that there were grounds to issue a protest note.
Akbar said that if there was "a foreign trace" in this case that had been proven by investigators, the Foreign Ministry's forwarding a note to Iran would have been substantiated.
"It is possible that Azerbaijan and Iran had held closed-door talks on the matter," he maintained. "If these discussions did take place, Iran's conduct shows that they were fruitless."
Chairman of the Tehlukesizlik (Security) research center Ilham Ismayil said the National Security Ministry would not have issued a statement that could heighten Azeri- Iranian tensions without valid grounds. "Therefore, Iran should seek to scrutinize the issue instead of pounding terse rhetoric."
Another analyst, head of the East-West research center Arastun Orujlu said Baku should not back down from its stance and demand that Iran provide an explanation regarding the data ascertained during the trial.
It is indicative that this is not the first "operation" carried out by the Iranian secret service in Azerbaijan. In 1996-97, the National Security Ministry arrested the leader of the Azerbaijan Islamic Party Alikram Aliyev and several other party executives over their activity against statehood. The law enforcers proved then that these persons were subject to drafting by the Iranian secret service and had received funds from it. Moreover, Iranian clerical and secret service bodies were earlier involved in instigating anti-Azerbaijan sentiments in Nardaran, a stronghold of Islamic tradition located about 40 km north of Baku.
Analysts say that Azerbaijan has increasingly been caught in a tug-of-war for influence between the secular West and its large southern neighbor.
Despite growing trade ties, relations between Baku and Tehran have on occasion been prickly, with disputes over the status of the Caspian Sea, which holds huge oil reserves, as well as the plight of a large ethnic Azeri minority in Iran.