Ilham Aliyev’s recent interview with local television channels goes far beyond assessments of Azerbaijan’s domestic and regional agenda. It also offers a tough, realistic, and ideologically unembellished diagnosis of how the international system actually functions. The President’s remarks on the concept of “international law,” in particular, provide a fundamental framework for understanding 21st-century geopolitics.
Aliyev states the issue plainly:
“Today, there is no such thing as international law in the world. Everyone should forget about it. There is power, there is cooperation, there are alliances, and there is mutual support.”
These words are not a pessimistic rejection but a definition of how the current global order operates. The President does not deny the existence of law as such; rather, he emphasizes that law only becomes meaningful when it is backed by power and political will. According to the overall logic of the interview, international law is not an independent, self-functioning mechanism, but a product of power balances.
This approach fully corresponds with contemporary global developments. From Ukraine to the Middle East, from the South Caucasus to Africa, and most recently in Venezuela, conflicts demonstrate that legal decisions and international documents produce results only when political and military power exists to enforce them. Aliyev’s analysis is rooted precisely in this reality.
In this context, the President makes a striking statement:
“If you are not strong, it does not matter at all whether you are right.”
This phrase represents a strategic lesson distilled from Azerbaijan’s thirty-year experience and articulated on a global scale. For many years, decisions recognized by international law were not implemented because there was no political will or real pressure mechanisms behind them. As a result, law remained on paper, while real politics was determined by power.
Aliyev’s assessment is not merely a review of the past but a clear warning for the future. The message is straightforward: today’s world is governed not by ideals, but by interests, power centers, and alliance networks.
Clarifying this further, the President states:
“Today, for all countries, security is the number one issue.”
This sentence clearly outlines the priority map of global politics. Even economics, diplomacy, and humanitarian values now gain significance only under the umbrella of security. States consolidate their international positions not through legal arguments, but through power structures capable of generating security.
What distinguishes Ilham Aliyev from classical realist approaches, however, is a key nuance. He does not define power solely as the use of force, but as a mechanism balanced by cooperation and alliances. That is why the concept of “power” appears in the same sentence as “cooperation” and “alliance.”
The core message embedded in the interview is this: being strong alone is not enough; being strong through the right alliances is essential. This emphasis carries particular strategic importance for the Turkic world.
At this point, the role Aliyev assigns to the Organization of Turkic States comes to the forefront. He stresses that the organization should no longer be viewed merely as a cultural or symbolic structure, but as a platform for strategic and security-oriented coordination:
“The Organization of Turkic States is a very important platform for us, and Azerbaijan is doing everything possible for its future development.”
This demonstrates that the importance attached to the organization is functional rather than rhetorical. The President also draws particular attention to military cooperation, implying that the security of the Turkic world cannot be outsourced to external actors:
“Why should we cooperate with Turkic states only in the economic sphere? Security is a fundamental issue for everyone.”
These words provide a strategic framework for the organization’s future direction: without a security dimension, integration cannot be sustainable.
One concrete reflection of this strategic approach was the meeting held in Gabala, which the President described as follows:
“The meeting held in Gabala showed that mutual trust among Turkic states has further strengthened.”
From an analytical perspective, the Gabala meeting represents a tangible outcome of quiet diplomacy in the Turkic world. Rather than issuing loud public declarations, a platform was created for building a shared security perception and strategic alignment. Baku’s role as both organizer and coordinator of this process reinforces Azerbaijan’s position as a driving force.
Another notable part of the interview was the clear acknowledgment that the Zangezur Corridor issue is being addressed not only at a regional level but also by global power centers. Referring to a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, Aliyev stated:
“Since Trump gave his name to the Zangezur corridor, I believe that this route will be opened soon. This road will be opened and will be secure.”
This underscores that Zangezur is not an ordinary infrastructure project, but a crossroads of global geopolitical interests. In this process, Azerbaijan acts not as a passive object, but as a rule-making player.
The President’s emphasis on Central Asia is also clearly felt in the interview. Relations with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are discussed beyond the scope of traditional diplomacy:
“Our relations with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are developing on an upward trajectory and are very important for the future of the Turkic world.”
These remarks indicate that the center of gravity of the Turkic world is increasingly forming along the South Caucasus–Caspian–Central Asia axis, with Azerbaijan playing an energy, transport, and political connector role.
One of the most sensitive topics addressed in the interview is the Palestinian issue. Aliyev approaches it not with emotional reflexes, but with state responsibility and historical experience. His position, conveyed to American counterparts, is summarized as follows:
“Our country has been subjected to aggression. We suffered heavy losses in the First Karabakh War, and we also had martyrs in the Second Karabakh War. Every citizen of Azerbaijan is valuable to us. We will not risk the lives and health of Azerbaijanis for anyone.”
The President also offers a candid reflection on the past:
“When we were in a difficult situation, we were left alone with our fate. No one defended us. Despite my respect for Palestine and sharing its pain, Palestine did not defend us either.”
This is not a distancing from Palestine, but a clear statement that realism, not romanticism, must guide international relations.
Nevertheless, Azerbaijan’s position on Palestine remains principled and clear:
“Azerbaijan has always supported Palestine and the establishment of a Palestinian state at the UN, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.”
This support is not merely rhetorical. The Palestinian Embassy in Baku operates with Azerbaijan’s financial support.
At this point, Aliyev summarizes his fundamental principle:
“Arab countries’ issues should be resolved by the Arab states themselves. The Arab League has a clear position, and we act accordingly. Running ahead of the locomotive does not bring good results.”
In conclusion, all the themes raised in the interview—criticism of international law, the emphasis on security, the Organization of Turkic States, the Gabala process, the Zangezur Corridor, Central Asia, and the Palestinian issue—are elements of a single strategic mindset.
This mindset conveys the following message:
The strength of the Turkic world lies not in emotional unity, but in coordinated power.
Security, transportation, and alliances must be treated as a single strategic package.
Azerbaijan is not merely a participant in this package, but a direction-setting actor.
This interview is an open message to the Turkic public: a common future is possible only through shared strategic thinking and collective political will.
Agil Alesger
Chairman of Azerbaijan Yeni Chag Media Group
Note: Aqil Alasgar is the President of the Azerbaijan Yeni Çağ Media Group and a member of the Boards of the Azerbaijan Press Council and the Turkey Internet Media Union.
E-mail: agilalesger@gmail.com
