Azerbaijan's President Calls European Parliament a Corrupt Den Amid Karabakh Tensions

In Baku on September 15, President Ilham Aliyev denounced the European Parliament as a “den of corrupt officials,” invoking the Qatargate case involving former vice-president Eva Kaili and accusing the body of covering up the scandal. Speaking alongside Organization of Turkic States secretary-general Kubanychbek Omuraliev and Muslim religious leaders, he claimed the Parliament applies double standards by refusing sanctions on Armenia and by championing the protection of Armenian cultural sites in Karabakh.

Aliyev linked these grievances to the unresolved peace process after Azerbaijan’s 2020 and 2023 operations that displaced over 100,000 Armenians. He noted the European Parliament’s recent resolution supporting the return of displaced Karabakh Armenians and condemning alleged unlawful detention of Armenian prisoners, which Baku rejects. The remarks come as Azerbaijan has suspended cooperation with the Parliament and maintains a strategic energy partnership with the EU, delivering 12.5 billion cubic metres of gas in 2025 under the Southern Gas Corridor.