The construction of the Middle East policy of the Republic of Azerbaijan

This study scrutinizes the foreign policy of the Republic of Azerbaijan towards the Middle East, with a particular emphasis on its interactions with Iran and Israel. Employing the theoretical framework provided by Social Constructivist theory, it investigates the impact of identities, culture, norms, discourses, and reciprocal social relations. The research delves into the intricate process of identity formation within Azerbaijan and probes into various factors influencing this process within their historical contexts. It chronicles the resurgence of 19th century debates surrounding language, affiliation, and identity during the quest for independent statehood, elucidating how these historical debates have left their mark on the foreign policy of the nascent republic. The study meticulously analyzes the fluctuating and enduring facets of Azerbaijan's foreign policy across different epochs, asserting Azerbaijan's inclination towards regional equilibrium, its endeavor to metamorphose the South Caucasus from a domain of contention into one of cooperation, its augmentation of autonomous operational capability, and its justification of policy through the prism of multilateralism. It is discerned that these aspirations and principles also exert a profound influence on Azerbaijan's Middle East policy. Various subtopics, such as the role of religion/sect, the South Azerbaijan issue, the status of the Caspian Sea, and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, are exhaustively deliberated to explicate Azerbaijan's stance towards Iran. Similarly, Azerbaijan's ties with Israel and its policy towards the state are scrutinized under headings such as the presence of Jews in Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani diaspora in Israel, lobbying efforts, and economic/energy partnerships. This study concludes that Azerbaijan is constructing a foreign policy oriented toward the Middle East, grounded in its historical heritage that includes the periods of Tsarist Russia and the Soviet Union, alongside its Turkish, Muslim, and secular identity elements. Furthermore, this policy has been shaped by changes in the global system since 1991. It has been determined that Azerbaijan's relations with both Iran and Israel are not shaped solely from a security perspective; rather, regional and systemic developments, including the stances of these actors, are decisive in Azerbaijan's self-positioning and policy-making processes.