At the very beginning of the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Azerbaijan already lost the propaganda war. What the leaders of Azerbaijan were thinking is hard to tell, except one thing is sure: employing the foreign mercenaries from Syria, the one who already lost every single narrative, made Azerbaijani cause a case of a loony isolated from the international community, with Turkey as the only ally, the ally which is slowly but surely moving toward the status of a pariah state.

It makes me wonder how could any competent leadership afford such a move and continue pursuing its ends on the international stage. Syrian mercenaries have a strong Islamic background, intermingled with indiscipline, crimes, theft, engaged in the Libyan war and the war against Kurdish led Syrian Democratic Forces. The list of enemies of these fashions is a long array with many major players: Egypt, Russia, Iran. These factions represent the worst flavor of the already sinking ship, Turkey, embedded in the same conflicts with these fashions and overextended in other areas, like the Eastern Mediterranean.

The history of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia is complicated, but the history of Armenian-Turkish relations operates on another level. It’s a moral duty for Turkey to be, if nothing else, then at least neutral. The very fact that Turkey is the one who inflames this conflict is beyond disgusting, the trait of a rogue state. And the way how Turkey is doing so is reckless.

Further, the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia is local in nature. With Turkey messing in the Caucasus, the game is entering a whole new level, making Azerbaijan rather a proxy than a cause. Turkey has different goals, and Azerbaijan is just a tool, like above mentioned Syrian mercenaries. If Aliyev thought that Turkey is the ace for victory, he grossly miscalculated and added full baggage of dirty laundry in his home.

That being said, Turkey can’t bring anything good for Azerbaijan. It’s rather a burden than the ace. Aliyev grossly miscalculated, and the political consequences in Azerbaijan will be far-fetching.