Turkey drags Azerbaijan into dangerous military and political bloc

Azerbaijan and Turkey have been strengthening their military alliance recently. It is believed that Azerbaijan, a former Soviet republic, may become a member of NATO. Azerbaijani soldiers may soon be fighting in Syria against the Russians. Kazakh, Armenian and soldiers from other republics of the former USSR may join them too, and not only in Syria.

Armed Forces of Azerbaijan and Turkey unite

Turkish General Bakhtiyar Ersai has been appointed adviser to the Azerbaijani Defense Minister, Azerbaijani media reported. Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov arrived in Turkey on a visit.

The Defence Minister of Azerbaijan will take part in the bilateral meeting between Ankara and Baku to discuss the military-political situation and military cooperation.

"Our goal is to bring the Azerbaijani Armed Forces to the level of the Turkish Armed Forces by 2025. By this time, the Azerbaijani Army must meet all the requirements and standards of the Turkish Armed Forces. The Armed Forces of Azerbaijan and Turkey are becoming a single body and will fulfill common tasks and goals that the two states are facing," Minister Hulusi Akar said, TurkNWS reports.

The reorganization of the Azerbaijani army according to Turkey's standards means according to NATO standards. Therefore, the conclusion about Baku joining the alliance some time does hold water.

Azerbaijani soldiers will take part in Turkey-led wars

In a conversation with Turan, political scientist Shahin Jafarli set out an opinion that the cooperation between the armies of the two countries will be conducted with a view to hold joint military operations, if need be.

As Vladimir Avatkov, a turkologist, wrote in his Telegram channel that Azerbaijani citizens could indeed be drawn into Turkish wars.

"If I understand this correctly, if there is a task to launch an anti-terrorist military operation in Syria, for example, Azerbaijani fighters will have to fight under the Turkish flag," the expert wrote.

Does Azerbaijan understand that following other states' interests leads to catastrophic consequences? There are so many examples to prove this point, including on post-Soviet space, with Ukraine being the hardest case. Belarus and Kazakhstan managed to avoid this fate.

Turkey may attack Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh

Turkey will push Azerbaijan to a forceful solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem. On December 21, Turkish Ambassador to Baku Cahit Bagchi visited a section of the road in the Lachin corridor that Azerbaijan blocks, where Russian peacekeepers are stationed.

The section was not unblocked, although the sixth paragraph of the tripartite statement on a ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh signed by the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, says that Baku "guarantees the safety of the movement of citizens, vehicles and goods along the Lachin corridor in both directions."

In other words, Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh may become a target in a joint attack that the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan and Turkey may conduct in the region.

Turkey will bring destabilisation to Russian regions

Turkey is trying to push other post-Soviet countries to fall into the trap too. Armenia is first on the list.

"We want Armenia to shake the hand of peace and friendship that Azerbaijan and Turkey is reaching out, refrain from provocations and set sights at peace talks," Hulusi Akar said.

Afterwards, Turkey will proceed to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan. According to TurkNWS, a civil defense mechanism of the Organization of Turkic States is being created, which includes the above-mentioned countries.

"We are at the stage of creating a civil defense mechanism of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). Today, the first steps are being taken in this direction," Turkish Interior Minister Suleiman Soylu said at the summit of OTS emergency management ministers.

It appears that Turkey will get its tentacles into Turkic-speaking republics of the Russian Federation before we know it. For the time being, as it appears, Moscow does not consider such a threat owing to the competent policy of President Recep Erdogan to form the ad hoc alliance with Moscow on Ukraine.

After Baku provided assistance to the Kyiv regime with the supplies of energy equipment, the Russian Foreign Ministry could only express "amazement."