The key facts

  • The Turkish Embassy in Baku rejected reports of a 'secret meeting' by Minister Fidan in Azerbaijan as baseless.
  • The Embassy called the publication part of disinformation efforts aimed at damaging Turkey-Azerbaijan relations and stated that the letter to the Turkish parliament mentioned does not exist.
  • The Qafqazinfo article referenced by the publications was later removed from the website.

Embassy's Refutation

The Turkish Embassy in Baku on Saturday rejected claims by several Azerbaijani media outlets that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a 'secret meeting' during his recent visit to Azerbaijan. According to the Embassy's statement, the article titled 'Behind the Scenes of Hakan Fidan's Meeting at GYF,' published by several outlets, primarily Qafqazinfo, is based on baseless claims.

Assessment of the Publication

According to the Embassy, the publication is part of the disinformation efforts of circles seeking to damage relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan. The Embassy noted that during his visit to Baku, Fidan posed for photos as a courtesy with many people, including members of an organization that has official status in Azerbaijan. 'The claims that our minister held a secret meeting and gave various instructions are categorically false,' the statement said.

The Letter and Accusations

The Embassy reported that the claims were built on a letter allegedly sent to the Turkish parliament containing accusations unrelated to reality, and stressed that no such letter exists. In the Embassy's view, the 'plans of interference in internal affairs,' 'intelligence operations,' 'plots for coup and chaos,' and 'recruitment of agents of influence' mentioned in the publication are deliberate lies designed to turn Azerbaijani public opinion against Turkey. The Embassy called on the public of both countries not to trust these claims.

The Original Publication

As noted, the Qafqazinfo website reported that Fidan visited a foundation created by Turkish philanthropists in Baku, where he allegedly held a secret meeting and gave various instructions. The article was later removed from the website.