Azerbaijan’s close ties with Israel and the recent flareup with Iran have helped perpetuate provocative social media posts in Türkiye.
Türkiye's Center for Countering Disinformation on Saturday said that Türkiye and Azerbaijan have successfully overcome many challenges together, responding to posts containing criticism, disinformation and provocation targeting Azerbaijan and bilateral relations.
"Closely bound by unshakable historical ties and shared values, Türkiye and Azerbaijan have not only today but also in the past successfully overcome many challenges they faced," the center, a subsidiary of Turkish Presidency's Directorate of Communications, said in a statement on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal.
The center also noted that bilateral relations, led at the leadership level by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, continue to be carried out at all levels under the motto "One Nation, Two States."
It also urged the public to remain cautious against exaggerated rhetoric, disinformation and black propaganda activities that could harm the brotherly ties between the two countries, and to consider official statements made by the authorities of Türkiye and Azerbaijan on critical issues.
At one point, social media posts reached a level calling for severing ties with Baku when Azerbaijan and Iran found themselves at odds after Azerbaijan accused Iran of committing terrorism after a drone strike in Nakhchivan last Thursday. Iran has denied firing any projectiles into Azerbaijan.
Türkiye has not officially taken a side in the ongoing U.S.-Israel-Iran war and urges all sides to stop attacks. Yet, the war has apparently divided Turkish social media sphere, with some calling on Ankara to side with Iran against the imperialist ambitions of the U.S. and Israel. Azerbaijan’s preparation for retaliation against Iran, as evidenced in harsh remarks of President Ilham Aliyev following the Nakhchivan incident, angered this group unconditionally defending Iran. Others in the Turkish social media sphere point to Iran’s past record in the region in what they called a hidden Shiite-Sunni conflict spreading from Syria to Yemen and oppose support to Iran.
Social media was awash with disinformation and propaganda after the war began. Communications Directorate Chair Burhanettin Duran said on Saturday that 41 social media accounts disseminating disinformation and making provocative posts were blocked and 75 posts were removed from digital platforms.
Duran said that the directorate had discovered a massive disinformation campaign and online psychological warfare in light of the latest developments in the region. He also said certain social media accounts deliberately shared unverified content to stir panic and fear in the public, adding that relevant public agencies have been monitoring these actions. "Necessary steps against digital manipulation attempts targeting public order, social peace and national security have been taken," Duran stated. He noted that the accounts blocked were on digital media platforms, X, Facebook and Instagram.
