Aliyev sparks backlash after stepping on flag

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev visited regions that came under Azerbaijani control following operations conducted on September 19, 2023, on October 15.

During his visit, President Aliyev hoisted the Azerbaijani flag in the Khojaly and Khankendi regions and posed for members of the media.

Aliyev's tour around a government building in the Khankendi region was broadcast via the Azerbaijani state television channel AZ TV.

During the broadcast, it was captured on screen that Aliyev stepped on the flag of the so-called Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, which had been laid on the ground.

On the other hand, Aliyev posed in front of the flag that had been laid on the ground inside the government building.

This behavior by President Aliyev, which was broadcast on Azerbaijani state television, was found inappropriate and drew backlash.

Many social media users pointed to the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, as an example. As is known, in 1922, Atatürk did not step on the Greek flag laid out in front of the house where he was to stay in İzmir, and instead ordered it to be removed from the ground. Atatürk had told those around him, "It was a mistake for the Greek King Constantine to step on the Turkish flag during the occupation. He may have committed that mistake in the past. I will not repeat his mistake. A flag, which is the honor of a nation, cannot be trampled upon. Remove the flag from the ground."