Some may remember the joke about the trade-offs to get stuff: three people talk about how they get things, and the first two start a lengthy story about what that had to trade off for one or the other achievement. The third suddenly feels inspired with the honest conversation and confesses that stuff has happened to him, but only twice, and as a matter of fact, all he got was pleasure (hey, guys, as we’re shooting straight…). In fact, this is a little fun story about how one misinterprets the game the others play, adopts the street jargon and decides that he can also participate, thus messing up the whole show and embarrassing himself.

Ilham Aliyev recently appeared in a similar situation, when he felt inspired and decided to catch up with his elder brother. A quote from the President of Azerbaijan during the joint press conference with the Prime Minister of Turkey in Baku: “This proves that something is missing in the heads of these people” (aka Armenians – T.P.)

I’m not surprised when the Turkish diplomacy starts a large-scale hysteria over a made-up story: eventually the Protocols are not ratified. The documents are a bone stuck in the throat of Turkey, and it is unable to either swallow it or spit it out.

I’m not surprised when the Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan asks for an apology from Armenia for a groundless accusation, and when the deputy prime minister Bülent Arınç tells Armenians “Come to your senses”. Many are aware of the vulgar and uncivilized diplomatic discourse of Turkey, and I’m certain that these statements will still be addressed by the Armenian side at a right moment and in the right format.

I’m not surprised that the President Gul has not joined this fake Turkish-Azerbaijani campaign and has not made any statement regarding this incident. I believe he won’t make any statements in the future as well.

What I’m really surprised at is the behavior of Ilham Aliyev who was inspired by the street slang of the Turkish leaders. Without understanding the logic of the means of expression of the Turkish diplomacy, and without realizing that even in their uncivilized discourse the Turkish leaders do not cross the line, the Azerbaijani President blurts,“this proves that something is missing in the heads of these people”, as if trying not to be left out of the conversation, or perhaps feeling secure next to the elderly brother. He basically insults a whole nation.

This is a brave behavior indeed. I have nothing else to add. I just wonder: was it for pleasure at least?

Still, pleasure or not, some questions are in the air. Will the sides involved in the regulation the conflict, the co-chairs remain silent when a whole nation has been insulted?

Will the leaders of the European community keep silent when they are perfectly aware that hurting national dignity does not contribute to peace-building in any way? Such actions actually waste all the efforts hundreds of organizations in the region have been investing in establishing peace for years, and in many cases these efforts have been financed by the European taxpayers.

Will Turkey remain silent? Turkey, which though involuntarily, has provided its Prime Minister as a background for the Azerbaijani President to label nations during a joint press conference.

These are important questions which will bring about even sharper ones if no answers are provided.

Tevan Poghosyan is the Executive Director of International Center for Human Development (ICHD). These views are his own.