Türkiye ‘most significant positive player’ in South Caucasus, says Azerbaijan's envoy

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Türkiye has been the most significant “positive player” in the South Caucasus region for more than three decades, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to the US Khazar Ibrahim said Wednesday, praising Ankara’s role in advancing peace between Baku and Yerevan.

“Türkiye, and not only during this historic moment, but for the last 30-plus years, I would say, was probably the most significant positive player in the region,” Ibrahim said during a panel discussion at the Hudson Institute in Washington.

The envoy underlined that Türkiye has consistently played a “positive role,” saying, “Türkiye never threatened anybody in the region. Türkiye always extended the hand.”

Highlighting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s diplomatic engagement with regional leaders, Ibrahim said Ankara’s efforts have supported dialogue and regional connectivity.

“The role of Türkiye vis-a-vis Azerbaijan is obvious, but also all this diplomacy by President Erdogan—his meetings with (Armenia's) Prime Minister (Nikol) Pashinyan, his engagement with other leaders, his engagement with Central Asian leaders, and his, frankly speaking, global role also in Washington—cannot be ignored,” he said on the Turkish role in the recent peace pledge between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and US President Donald Trump signed a joint declaration at a trilateral summit at the White House in August, aiming to end decades of conflict through commitments to cease hostilities, reopen transport routes, and normalize relations.

- Cooperation with Georgia

The ambassador also emphasized the importance of cooperation between Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye, which he said has strengthened regional stability and economic integration.

“Turkish involvement was critical, because that allowed not only transportation of fossil fuel, but also transit routes,” Ibrahim said, noting that this helped forge “real strong” Azerbaijan-Georgia bonds.

With recent progress in the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process, the three neighboring countries could deepen cooperation, he said, adding: “So with that, we’ll move forward.”