The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline has been supplying oil to Israel for many years, and Turkey is not stopping this practice. Senior Israeli officials have confirmed that the country continues to receive large quantities of oil via the pipeline and tankers on their way to Haifa.
The reason for Turkey’s continued support of Israel is not because of Jerusalem’s interests but rather Azerbaijan’s. President Ilham Aliyev has close relationships with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Despite their differences, Erdogan is unwilling to take any actions that may harm Aliyev’s interests due to the deep relations between Ankara and Baku.
Apart from oil supply, Israel is also a significant supplier of military equipment to Azerbaijan. The two countries have a stable relationship, with Israel being Azerbaijan’s most reliable relationship with a Muslim country since 1992. The relationship has expanded into various areas beyond oil and military equipment, including education.
Last year, Azerbaijan opened an embassy in Tel Aviv, further strengthening the bond between the two countries. As journalists, we must adhere to the codes of ethics in our discourse on this matter, ensuring diversity, relevance, and respect in our conversation. Expressions of violence, racism, incitement or any other inappropriate content will be automatically filtered out.
In conclusion, Turkey’s decision to continue loading oil tankers from Ceyhan port to Israel is motivated by Azerbaijan’s interests rather than Jerusalem’s. Despite their differences in ideology and political leanings, Erdogan is unwilling to risk damaging his relationship with Aliyev due to the deep ties between Ankara and Baku.
