Azerbaijan has publicly welcomed the United Arab Emirates’ candidate for United Nations secretary-general while Turkey prepares to nominate its own contender, marking another development in the growing tensions between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Azərbaycanın namizədliyimi alqışlamasını və daha güclü, daha effektiv və çevik Birləşmiş Millətlər Təşkilatına çağırışını yüksək qiymətləndirirəm.
I appreciate Azerbaijan’s welcoming of my nomination, and its call for a stronger, more effective and responsive United Nations.…
— Lana Nusseibeh (@Lana_Nusseibeh) October 29, 2026
On October 27, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the UAE’s nomination of Minister of State Lana Zaki Nusseibeh for the UN’s top position, despite reports that Ankara is preparing to nominate former Turkish Foreign Minister and current OSCE Secretary-General Feridun Sinirlioğlu.
While Turkey has yet to formally submit Sinirlioğlu’s candidacy, Baku’s public endorsement of the Emirati nomination has drawn attention in Turkish media, particularly amid recent disagreements between the two governments. Azerbaijan has not explicitly pledged to support Nusseibeh in the selection process.
Relations between Baku and Ankara have deteriorated in recent weeks following criticism from Turkish political figures over Azerbaijan’s restrictions on headscarves in schools. The dispute has triggered increasingly hostile exchanges between political figures and media outlets in both countries, placing their traditionally close alliance under strain.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan has significantly expanded its military cooperation with the UAE throughout 2026, particularly in October.
On February 3, Azerbaijani and Emirati forces conducted the joint counterterrorism exercise Peace Shield 2026 in Abu Dhabi, attended by Aliyev and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
From October 12 to 20, the two countries held Falcons Meet 2026, joint air force and air defense exercises in Azerbaijan involving more than 600 military personnel.
On October 19, Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov met UAE Chief of General Staff Issa Saif bin Ablan Al Mazrouei to discuss expanding bilateral military cooperation.
The partnership advanced further on October 28, when the two countries held the second meeting of their Joint Military Cooperation Committee and signed a military cooperation roadmap covering 2027–2029.
Baku’s public welcome of the Emirati candidacy, coupled with its expanding military partnership with Abu Dhabi, comes at a particularly sensitive moment in Azerbaijani-Turkish relations. Although Azerbaijan has not formally rejected Turkey’s prospective candidate, its diplomatic position highlights the growing importance of the UAE in Baku’s foreign and defense policy.
