The temporary commission of the Milli Majlis against foreign interference and hybrid threats (the Commission) has examined an information campaign directed against Azerbaijan in recent days. According to the Commission, the campaign has been conducted from the territory of the Republic of Türkiye through social media platforms. The findings paint a clear picture.
Certain centers launched this effort not only to strike at the Azerbaijan-Türkiye partnership, but to confuse public opinion more broadly. The goal, investigators concluded, was to plant seeds of distrust in citizens toward their own state and its institutions, and to stir up division within society. The campaign is coordinated.
It relies on targeted advertisements, and it uses a mix of real and fake social media accounts to amplify its message and make manufactured outrage look like a genuine groundswell. This combination includes paid promotion and artificial voices. It should be noted that the issue is particularly sensitive given the close and long-standing relationship between Azerbaijan and Türkiye.
The two countries have repeatedly described their ties as those of two brotherly states, and the principle of "one nation, two states" has become a widely recognized expression of the relationship between the Azerbaijani and Turkish peoples. Against this background, attempts to create mistrust between the two societies through social media can have an impact beyond individual online discussions. Information circulating on digital platforms can quickly reach large audiences, while misleading or deliberately manipulated content can make it difficult for users to distinguish between genuine information and coordinated campaigns.
The commission pointed out that some people in both Azerbaijan and Türkiye who have no malicious intentions have nevertheless supported or shared elements of the campaign. This makes public awareness and caution particularly important. Azerbaijan and Türkiye continue to maintain particularly close political, economic, security and people-to-people ties.
Cooperation between the two countries extends across a wide range of areas, while regular high-level contacts have reinforced the strategic character of bilateral relations. For Baku and Ankara, maintaining public trust between the two societies remains an important part of the broader relationship. In such a difficult period, it is necessary to remain vigilant and not to believe fabricated information.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
