Azerbaijani Army Progresses Towards Turkish-NATO Standards, but Civilian Control Remains Challenging

Baku/22.06.23/Turan: Military expert Uzeyir Jafarov believes that by 2025, the Azerbaijani army should complete its transition to the Turkish-NATO standards of army structure. While the reform process is advancing successfully, the possibility of civilian control over the Azerbaijani army is becoming increasingly difficult each year. Jafarov points out that in the 1990s, the Ministry of Defense allowed visits to military units by parents of soldiers, politicians, deputies, and artists, but in recent years, public participation in army oversight has been absent.

On June 21, Azerbaijani military experts, along with the Geneva Center for Civil Government Security and the Azerbaijani Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution, convened a round table to discuss security sector reforms and the implementation of progressive administrative practices within the Azerbaijani army. Military experts and retired officers Telman Abilov and Elkhan Shikhaliyev argue that Azerbaijan is falling behind in army reforms. MP Fazil Mustafa attributes this lag to the unresolved Karabakh conflict but expresses confidence that liberal reforms will commence in the country after signing a peace agreement with Armenia. However, participant MP Hikmet Babaoglu accuses the round table organizer, Elkhan Mehdiyev, the head of the Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution, of colluding with global imperialism, considering France a prime example of anti-Azerbaijani policy.

Another participant in the round table, Grazvydas Jasutis, Chief Program Manager in Europe and Central Asia at the Geneva Center for Democratic Control of the Armed Forces (DCAF), shares his experiences conducting training for officers in countries such as Georgia, Ukraine, and other European nations. Jasutis highlights the establishment of councils in Ukraine for interaction between the army and society, suggesting that Ukraine's experience may prove valuable in the de-occupation process of Azerbaijani territories. DCAF offers its expertise and knowledge to Azerbaijan.

Military expert Tarlan Eyvazov points out the existence of similar public councils in other Azerbaijani ministries, such as the Ministry of Internal Affairs, ANAMA, and the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources. However, the Azerbaijani army lacks a Public Council. Nevertheless, Eyvazov considers the work of the existing Public Councils purely formal, arguing that these structures do not fulfill the tasks assigned to them. Retired Colonel Shair Ramaldanov describes the situation in the army as "difficult" due to the closed nature of the military structure. Ramaldanov proposes the creation of a public body comprising military affairs experts who can facilitate communication between society and the army, providing information and explanations about events within the armed forces.

Chairman of the organization "Invalids of the Karabakh War," Ray Kerimoglu, emphasizes the role of the state in creating conditions for the establishment of a mechanism that fosters interaction between society and the army, with the aim of preventing suicides within the military. Deputy Vidadi Iskenderov echoes this sentiment, advocating for the establishment of a new institution—an ombudsman—for the protection of military personnel's rights.

It is worth noting that the discussions at the round table did not address the distressing history of servicemen torture, a matter of concern in society.