Aliyev is Afraid: He Has Been Living in Turkey for Several Days

President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan has not resided in his country for several days, preferring to stay in one of his palaces in Antalya, Turkey, only appearing in Baku for press briefings and messages to Azerbaijanis.

This information is reported by Vovna Kaspia, citing Azerbaijani sources. The newspaper notes that the sudden behavior of Azerbaijan’s authoritarian leader is linked to fears for his power and life amid increasing anti-war sentiments throughout the country. These concerns have been fueled by the Azerbaijani army’s failures in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Despite promises to “liberate” the region quickly, part of Azerbaijan's armed forces is currently encircled in Zangezur, while another group is retreating eastward. “The Azerbaijani leadership has tried to keep the population uninformed about the military operations by blocking social media nationwide and hindering journalists' work. Only information beneficial to Aliyev has been relayed from the front line, but this hasn't persisted for long; wounded soldiers have occasionally returned from Karabakh, often deserters, revealing in detail both the Azerbaijani army's defeats and the enormous losses suffered, as well as the impossibility of achieving the military objectives set by the country's leadership,” the report states.

As a result, widespread protests are maturing across the country, likely starting in the indigenous communities of Azerbaijan, but unquestionably reaching Baku as well. Additionally, dissatisfaction with Aliyev’s war and politics is growing among the political elite of Azerbaijan. Anticipating a not-so-subtle but very real threat to his power, liberty, and life, Aliyev does not wish to “tempt fate” by remaining in Baku.

He has decided to move to ally Turkey, where he owns considerable real estate and from where he sends messages to encourage Azerbaijani soldiers and the public. Therefore, every Azerbaijani soldier fighting in Karabakh, believing he is fighting for the country and the president, must understand that there is no president backing them now; he is abroad enjoying warm weather, the sea, and beautiful views. Aliyev is not even hiding behind his “musketeers”; he is not even near the conflict zone.