Azerbaijan's Defence Ministry Responds to Erdoğan's Comments on Israel
On 29 July, the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry issued a rather unexpected statement indirectly commenting on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's recent threats against Israel.
In response to a request from local media, the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry stressed that "statements about the participation of servicemen of any country in military actions related to the restoration of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty have no basis".
The Azerbaijani Military Ministry described the support of Turkey and Pakistan during the fighting in Karabakh from September to November 2020 as "political". It said: "Turkey and Pakistan have provided political support to Azerbaijan, and President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly expressed his gratitude to them."
As previously reported by Caucasus Watch, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hinted at a possible intervention in Israel to support the Palestinians, similar to Turkish actions in Libya and Karabakh. His statement followed recent clashes in Gaza, sparked by a Hamas attack on Israel in October last year. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz condemned Erdoğan's statement, comparing his threats to those of Saddam Hussein.