Aliyev has made a radical change to the diplomatic team towards Turkey.
28-07-2026 10:33 Politics
1in.am On July 27, by the decree of Ilham Aliyev, Zamin Aliyev was appointed as the Consul General of Azerbaijan in Istanbul. Prior to this, he held the same position in Kars and earlier served in the diplomatic service at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan. Last week, Ilham Aliyev recalled Rashad Mamedov from the position of Ambassador of Azerbaijan in Turkey and appointed him as Ambassador to Uzbekistan. Rashat Aslanov has been appointed as the Ambassador of Azerbaijan in Ankara, who previously served in Italy, Malta, and San Marino.
The almost simultaneous change of the ambassador in Turkey and the consul general in Istanbul can hardly be considered a "routine personnel change." Ahead of the parliamentary elections in Armenia, the Ambassador of Azerbaijan in Ankara, Rashad Mamedov, stated in an interview with "Cumhuriyet" that Turkey and Azerbaijan act in coordination, and the Armenian-Turkish border can only be opened after the signing of a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Mamedov's unequivocal assertion has sparked heated discussions in unofficial circles in Turkey. Several former diplomats have expressed their dissatisfaction in the press and on social media, arguing that Baku "cannot impose conditions on Ankara." Naturally, the debate has also resonated in the Azerbaijani press, where Turkey has been suspected of having "intentions to open the border with Armenia bypassing Azerbaijan's interests."
Rashad Mamedov's statement and the quite sharp debate between Turkey and Azerbaijan followed the participation of Turkish Vice President Yılmaz in the summit of the European Democratic Community held in Yerevan and his meeting with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, after which "certain steps have been taken" by Turkey towards Armenia.
The Azerbaijani ambassador could not have "advised" Turkey to condition its relations with Armenia based on Azerbaijan's position without Ilham Aliyev's instructions; former Turkish diplomats have likely criticized him for this "defensive stance" with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's "silent approval."
About two months after the "diplomatic incident" between Turkey and Azerbaijan, Aliyev recalled the "disobedient" ambassador and sent him to Uzbekistan. This indicates that he is not dissatisfied with Rashad Mamedov. It turns out that the latter has become "undesirable" for official Ankara. As for the Consul General of Azerbaijan in Istanbul, Narmina Musatafaeva, who was recalled from that position, has not yet received a new appointment. The influence of Istanbul in Turkey's political and public life is significant. It can be assumed that she has "failed" in shaping the positive rating of the Azerbaijani authorities and Aliyev.
* This text was automatically translated by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
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