Baku orchestrated ‘Western Azerbaijan’ narrative: OC Media

An investigation by OC Media has uncovered that the Azerbaijani presidential administration directly coordinated and financed the ‘Western Azerbaijan’ campaign, which frames parts or all of Armenia as historic Azerbaijani territory, Armenpress reports.

Launched under the pretense of a humanitarian cause advocating the “safe and dignified return of Azerbaijanis displaced from Armenia during the Soviet Union’s collapse,” the campaign has evolved into a state-driven propaganda tool. Despite its cultural facade, experts point to a clear irredentist agenda.

Internal Azerbaijani documents obtained by OC Media confirm that the President’s Office orchestrated content, communications, and events, although the campaign is formally run by the “Western Azerbaijan Community.” Funding covered high-level conferences, media specialists, and digital platforms.

In October 2023, ADA University funded a book promoting the narrative. At a December 2023 conference in Baku, titled “Ensuring the safe and dignified return of Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia: global context and fair solution”, 34 international guests attended. The state allocated over 109,000 manats for event expenses, including branding and audiovisual materials.

Observers like Altay Goyushov (Sciences Po) say the narrative helps divert domestic discontent, mobilize public sentiment, and intimidate Armenia. Vafa Naghiyeva (University of Leipzig) adds that it supports post-war state messaging, instilling a sense of unresolved justice and national identity.

While international response to these efforts remains limited, Azerbaijani media aggressively amplify foreign attendees’ statements to portray legitimacy. In 2025, amid renewed peace talks, Aliyev’s rhetoric briefly softened after a draft peace treaty signed in Washington included a clause rejecting territorial claims and committing not to take each other to international courts.

Still, rhetoric persists. Events promoting the narrative were held in Germany and Brussels in late 2024. On October 26, ruling party MP and community chair Aziz Alakbarli warned Armenia to comply with Baku’s demands or risk “its existence as a state.”

Notably, neither the President’s Office nor the Western Azerbaijan Community responded to OC Media’s request for comment.