Azerbaijan seeks to improve relations between Israel and Turkey

Israel and Turkey both offered the government of Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev military support during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War. Now Baku suggested to Jerusalem and Ankara it could help build new bridges between its two allies, Walla! reported on Wednesday.

Israeli technology and Turkish military know-how allegedly provided Aliyev with drones and other weapons that eventually helped his forces take the city of Shusha from Armenian hands and sign a cease-fire agreement with the government of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Aliyev allegedly phoned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan this week and suggested various paths into improving diplomatic relations between Turkey and Israel.

While economic and security relations between Jerusalem and Ankara have continued despite a rocky past, Erdogan has a history of publicly slamming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkey expelled Israeli ambassador Eitan Na’eh two years ago.

In October, Erdogan opened the Turkish parliament’s legislative session with a speech that addressed the city of Jerusalem and the Palestinian people, in which he stated: “Jerusalem is our city.”

Erdogan was reported to respond positively to the overtures, Walla! reported, and officials in Azerbaijan told their Israeli counterparts that the Turkish politician was swayed into anti-Israeli rhetoric due to the influence of former aids.

Last week,  Azeri Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov allegedly called Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi to discuss the same issue with the message that his country would be interested to see both of its allies enjoying improved relations.

While no officials were willing to comment on record concerning the call, it is possible both Netanyahu and Erdogan are watching Washington closely., hoping to present US president-elect Joe Biden with two strong regional allies of the US getting along better than ever when he begins his term in the White House.

Another issue that Turkey might wish to see resolved is that of gas. Israel is intimately involved with both Greece and Cyprus in regional energy operations that Ankara might wish to influence. However, it seems unlikely Israel would be willing to damage already established deals to appease a Turkish leader known to speak ill of the Jewish state.