[Verginius Rufus]

Azerbaijan-Turkmenistan relations: another area where the mainstream media leaves the American public woefully ignorant.

Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan are both Muslim countries speaking closely-related Turkic languages, using the same alphabet (Cyrillic). There's no reason for them not to be best of friends. It must be George W. Bush's fault that they aren't.

[rmlew]

Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan are both Muslim countries speaking closely-related Turkic languages, using the same alphabet (Cyrillic). There's no reason for them not to be best of friends. It must be George W. Bush's fault that they aren't.
1. Azeri Muslims are Shia. The Oghuz Turks and the Arabs in Turkmenistan are Sunni.
2. Azerbaijan is a pro-Westnern nation that is close to the US and Israel. Turkmenistan remained pro-Soviet. Niyazov, the former head of the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic until his death in 2007.
Turkmenistan is talking orders from Moscow to pressure Azerbaijan and to protect Iran.