Baku decided to provoke in Derbent, Dagestan, claiming to "protect compatriots."

Baku decided to stir up trouble in Derbent, Dagestan, claiming to "protect compatriots"

In this city, which is the oldest in Russia, one-third of the population are Azerbaijanis, and some people want to take advantage of this

Picture: Scenery of Derbent

"Derbent is the oldest city in Russia. About 40% of its population are Azerbaijanis," said former Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Tofiq Zulfugarov. He stated that some people in Russia have made "untimely calls" for "returning to your Azerbaijan."

"What do they mean? Are they suggesting that the indigenous residents of the oldest city in Russia should leave their country?" he asked. In fact, the former foreign minister probably already knows the answer: in Russia, even if someone really thinks that way, it's only those who are completely out of touch with the times, just like any country has fools.

According to data from the Dagestan Statistics Office, Azerbaijanis make up about 33% of the population of Derbent. For a city with 128,000 inhabitants, this proportion is quite high. However, when viewed in the context of the entire Dagestan, it is negligible, accounting for only 4.5%. Nevertheless, under the current situation, people are worried that Baku might use these people to incite separatist sentiments within Russia.

On the other hand, Moscow may also recall the provisions of the Treaty of Gulistan. According to this treaty, not only did Derbent become part of the empire, but much of the territory of modern Azerbaijan was also under Russian rule. Additionally, one could mention the divided Lezgins or the oppressed Talysh — although Baku harshly suppressed domestic separatism in the 1990s, the roots that led to separatism still exist...

"Zulfugarov explained that his statement was a response to the 'call for Azerbaijanis to leave Russia.' He stated that Azerbaijanis are the indigenous people of the country, specifically part of the North Caucasus. But in our country, no one would question this," said political analyst Kirill Ozimko.

"No one would call on citizens of the country, or even immigrants who have integrated into Russian society, culture, and legal system, to leave. In my opinion, the Azerbaijani residents of Derbent have no connection with the current tensions between Baku and Moscow, nor with some extreme statements within Russia.

We can also look at this issue from another perspective: since the late 18th century, Russians have lived on the territory of present-day Azerbaijan. Can they be considered indigenous residents of the Republic of Azerbaijan?"

"Free Press": Azerbaijanis have their own country outside of Russia. Should the Azerbaijanis here be entitled to all the privileges of a minority?

"Legally, Azerbaijanis are not considered an indigenous people of Russia, so they cannot enjoy the privileges of minorities in the country."

In Russia, there are many other ethnic groups living in certain regions, such as Kazakhs, Germans, and Finns, who have their own independent countries.

Their official status cannot be compared to that of the Tatars or Yakuts, who have lived with Russia for centuries, developed along the Russian development path, and have no independent country of their own.

"Free Press": It is worth mentioning the recent incident in a school in Derbent, where students were taught that their homeland is Azerbaijan...

"In fact, currently, we only see some unsettling feelings among people in the North Caucasus. However, it is unrealistic to talk about the danger of separatism within Russia at this time. There are no systemic issues or serious threats of separation at present."

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Of course, it is necessary to remain vigilant now. Just like in other regions, greater attention should be paid to cultivating patriotism across Russia and responding severely to events similar to those in Derbent.

"Free Press": Should we revisit the Treaty of Gulistan?

"At present, this issue is not on the agenda of the Russian leadership. However, the impression is that Baku's actions and the overall conflict have caught Moscow by surprise.

Currently, Russia is focusing on confronting the Western bloc and needs time to rethink the roles of many post-Soviet countries: there are now many republics that are far from being reliable rear areas and allies."

"Free Press": Is it necessary to try to exploit the internal contradictions of Azerbaijan? For example, the League of Lezgin project existed during the Soviet era. What about the Talysh Republic? Baku harshly suppressed separatists within its own country back then...

"In recent times, Russia has been more active in the field of 'soft power' than ever before. It has more tools to influence the internal contradictions of other countries. However, this has not yet reached a level of significant impact.

Nevertheless, this strategy is very correct: influencing allies not only through contact with their elite circles but also through society. Through non-governmental organizations, media, and the cultivation of opinion leaders. This way, Moscow will have more leverage in international affairs."

"If we study history deeply, we should remember the language spoken by the founders of Derbent, which is more similar to Russian than to Azerbaijani. However, let's return to the present," said Alexander Averin, a former militia member of the Lugansk People's Republic.

"Currently, Azerbaijan has taken clearly unfriendly steps against Russia. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other state agencies need to recognize this.