“Which country would sell their natural resources at 30 percent of international prices?” asked Aliyev during his meeting with Cabinet members on Saturday. Stressing that Azerbaijan is ready to export its natural gas resources to Europe, Aliyev claims that for the past two years Azerbaijan has been unable to export its natural gas to Europe because transit issues between Azerbaijan and Turkey are still unresolved. “The lack of a resolution with Turkey on the issue of gas transit is hindering the full-scale transportation of Azerbaijani gas to Europe,” Aliyev told Cabinet members. “The step taken by the authorities is directed not against the government, but rather the whole Turkish state,” the statement reads.
Meanwhile, Turkish flags around the monument of 1,130 Turkish soldiers who died while fighting for Azerbaijan's independence in 1918 were taken down by the mayor of Baku's Sabayıl district on Oct. 15. Azerbaijani authorities, however, dismissed the notion that the act was part of a campaign; rather it was done due to a law on the flags of foreign countries and international organizations.
The Azerbaijani opposition's moves to protest the action has been swift. Azerbaijan's main opposition party, the Equality Party, prepared a statement in which it expressed its discontent over the Turkish flag having disappeared from the memorial to Turkish soldiers who died in the 1918 Baku liberation battle.
“The step by the authorities is directed not against Ankara, but rather the whole Turkish state,” the statement reads. “The current tension between two countries provides no basis for the authorities to make such a rude political mistake,” the statement continues. Observers argue that the removal of Turkish flags in Baku is a response to the ban on Azerbaijani flags during the Turkey-Armenia World Cup Qualifying match on Oct. 14 in Bursa.
Following the incident, the Turkish Foreign Ministry called for a meeting with Azerbaijani Ambassador Zakir Hashimov for political consultations. The details of this meeting have not yet made public.
