Iran's decision to include Azerbaijan's state television AzTV in the list of "enemy media" has caused discussions.
Speaking to Modern.az on the matter, Hikmət Babaoğlu, member of the Azerbaijan-Iran inter-parliamentary relations working group, believes that the main reason for this is AzTV's consistent communication of Azerbaijan's position based on international law to the world and its coverage of the truths about the processes in the region.
The deputy stated that there is only one reason for this: AzTV presents the truth, substantiates Azerbaijan's position based on international law, and contributes to the correct formation of public opinion.
"AzTV is the state television of Azerbaijan. Therefore, it bears an important responsibility in conveying our country's fair position to the world, and I believe that the television successfully fulfills this mission," he emphasized.
According to the deputy, this activity worries the chauvinistic circles operating in Iran:
"Because AzTV's broadcasts bring up issues such as Iran's hostile policy against Azerbaijan in the past, its support for Armenia during the 44-day Patriotic War, as well as the violation of the rights of Azerbaijanis living in Iran. Of course, these are not in line with the interests of Persian chauvinism and radical sectarian circles."
Hikmət Babaoğlu believes that such a decision indicates that AzTV's activities are in the right direction:
"I think AzTV can be proud of this. Because it is more acceptable to hear the word 'enemy' from the enemy than to earn their praise. Azerbaijan is not the party that shows enmity, whether in interstate relations, in a state of war, or on an ideological level. It is the chauvinistic circles in Iran that show enmity towards us."
Vasif Qafarov, member of the Azerbaijan-Iran inter-parliamentary relations working group, noted that targeting the state television is not accidental:
"AzTV is one of the main information platforms that conveys Azerbaijan's official position, state policy, and national interests to the international audience. In this regard, such a decision is not only a message directed at a media institution but also indirectly at Azerbaijan's information policy."
Vasif Qafarov stated that Azerbaijan builds its foreign policy on the principles of international law, state sovereignty, and non-interference in internal affairs.
"Official Baku has repeatedly stated that it is interested in developing relations with neighboring states based on mutual respect, equality, and trust. In such a situation, harsh and politically motivated approaches towards the media do not serve to strengthen the environment of trust in relations, but rather to increase mutual distrust."
The deputy noted that in the modern era, information security is an integral part of national security, and presenting state media as "enemy" creates the impression of politicizing the information space.
"Disagreements or critical approaches between media organizations should be resolved through diplomatic dialogue and professional communication."
According to V. Qafarov, there are common interests between Azerbaijan and Iran such as regional security, transport and communication projects, economic cooperation, and border security. Therefore, individual emotional and political steps should not be allowed to determine the overall development trajectory of bilateral relations.
"However, such decisions that weaken mutual trust can complicate dialogue and create negative impacts on public opinion."
The deputy emphasized that Azerbaijan's main priority is to protect its national information space, objectively convey the state's official position to the international community, and maintain a principled stance against information pressures.
"At the same time, Baku, adhering to its neighborhood policy, prefers to resolve problems through mutual respect and diplomatic means. The main advantage of strong states is not in emotional reactions, but in consistently defending national interests with a legal and pragmatic policy," Vasif Qafarov added.
