Azerbaijan’s Aliyev promises to ensure north gains international recognition

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday evening promised to ensure that the north will gain international recognition.

Addressing a diplomatic forum in his country’s capital Baku, he began by highlighting the “active role” his government played in the north’s obtaining of observer status of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS).

“We are among the countries actively fighting in this regard. President Ersin Tatar was invited to the informal summit held in Shusha and attended it. The flag of North Cyprus was also waving at the meeting. We are always on the side of our brothers. Our policy has always been clear. We have no other agenda in this area,” he said.

“We are only thinking about how we can help our brothers protect their state,” he added. “They deserve this in terms of history and what they have done.”

Then speaking on Cyprus’ history, he pointed out that at the 2004 Annan Plan referendum, which would have reunited Cyprus if passed, the majority of Turkish Cypriots voted in favour but the majority of Greek Cypriots voted against.

“Look, what happened? The Greek Cypriot side was accepted into the European Union. Is this fair? So, was this a clear example of double standards and politicians do not want to talk about it. So, they do not want to cause them any headaches and if they talk about this, they may get other headaches,” he said.

“That is why I want to tell our brothers in North Cyprus that we will always be with you and we will ensure that your country is established as an independent state and is recognised by the international community.”

Aliyev’s comments on the matter may signal a return to a policy on Cyprus which is more aligned with that of Turkey, after the country’s relations with the Republic of Cyprus had appeared to thaw in recent months.

His Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov had in December met his Cypriot counterpart Constantinos Kombos, stressing after the meeting the “importance of continuing the dialogue” between the Republic of Cyprus and Azerbaijan.

That meeting was the second of its kind in the space of a month, with the pair having also met on the sidelines of November’s Cop29 summit in Baku.

President Nikos Christodoulides had said that meeting was “a meeting which, beyond symbolism, is of particular essential importance.”

The two meetings, as well as Christodoulides’ reception in Baku in November as the president of Cyprus, were seen to mark a shift in Azerbaijan’s stance on Cyprus, though Wednesday’s comments suggest a return to closer alignment with Ankara on the matter, as had been the case before.

Previously, Aliyev reportedly told Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar he “attaches great importance to the TRNC” during a bilateral meeting.

He had also said his country is making “diplomatic efforts” for the north to become an observer member of the OTS, with the north’s observer status having been agreed upon by the OTS’ leaders’ summit in 2022, but with parliamentary ratification from the five member states still pending.

He had added at the time that he supports the north becoming a full member of the OTS.

“This is very natural, because historically, the TRNC is a part of the Turkic world. The Turks living there are our brothers,” he said.