Turkey sees itself as a protection of the former Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan. The population of both countries have ethnic and linguistic similarities. After the independence of the small state on the Caspian sea in 1991, the doctrine of “two States, a Nation established itself, therefore quick”. Both Baku and Ankara to underline their bilateral relations with this Slogan.
Since the mid 90-ies, Azerbaijan to each other device on a regular basis with Armenian military. The clashes ranging from border skirmishes to massive Wars. The bone of contention in the Region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, is mostly, for Armenia but an independent state. The Armenians are in control of the land since 1994, a military conflict was gone.
On the 12. July in the Northern Armenian province of Tavush to a bloody clash between the two actors. According to official figures, 17 people have been killed, mostly military. Both countries give the other side of the fault. The events are displayed in different ways.
Ankara rushes to the aid
Ankara was accustomed to reflexively on the side of his Azerbaijani protege. There is a sharp rhetoric from the Turkish defense Minister Hulusi Akar, the Armenia was the sole blame for the incident was followed by: “The pain of the Azerbaijani Turks is also our pain”. Armenia will pay for it, said Akar. Already at a four-day combat action in the year 2016, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced to support in case of Azerbaijan “until the end”.
This Time, it left the Turkish government has not sabre-rattling: How the Turkish news Agency Anadolu reported, would be carried out in the allied countries from the first to the tenth of August, in common military exercises in Baku, and in Nagorno-Karabakh. Also, the air force of both countries sample common combat actions. According to the Turkish news Agency Anadolu helicopters of the Turkish air force had already landed and been received.
A danger for stability and safety
The Director of the think-tank “Insight Centre for Data Analytics,” Anna Karapetyan holds the upcoming military exercise for a devastating Signal. “It is self-explanatory, that after the recent clashes in Tavush – which were provoked by Azerbaijan and to the unprecedented aggressive rhetoric from Turkey, a military exercise will not contribute to more security and stability in the Region,” says the political scientist. “Turkey is a destructive factor in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.” The military support of Turkey should be understood as a threat to Armenia and would have to be punished by the international community, says Karapetyan.
Hakki Casin of the Istanbul-based Yeditepe University is in favour, however, the joint military exercise. “It is a very important Exercise, on the Land and air units, and specialty units to participate. (…) With military Power, Turkey is trying to secure peace and stability in the Region”, the expert for International relations.
Casin recalls that of the stability in the Caucasus, but also economic interests depended. “Azerbaijan is rich in natural resources, billions of cubic meters of natural gas will be directed from there a year to Europe”. The commitment of the Turkey will get use to the Europeans.
Ankara wants to. Gasschatz secure
Ankara holds also from economic reasons to the small country on the Caspian sea: Together with Georgia, Azerbaijan is an important energy corridor for Turkey The TRANS-Anatolian Pipeline, which is only two years in operation, the TRANS-Caucasian Pipeline and the South Caucasus Pipeline running through the two countries. Each of these pipelines natural gas from the Caspian sea flows into the gas distribution network in Turkey. Azerbaijan has become in recent years one of the most important energy supplier to Turkey.
This is mainly due to the fact that Ankara seeks increasingly to reduce energy dependence on Russian Gas. So far, Turkey receives natural gas mainly from Russia, transported in the Pipeline “Blue Stream” through the Black sea to Turkey. The new Pipeline Turkish Stream, which was opened in the beginning of this year, has doubled the capacity of the old tube, almost.
Again, Ankara and Moscow are on the feet
Obviously, this was Ankara’s strategic mistake: Whether in the Libyan civil war or the conflict in the North-Western Syrian Region of Idlib, the positions of Ankara and Moscow could not be more different. And also the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict, the interests of the two regional powers on the cross are.
That of Ankara in the Region plays more and more as the patron Saint of Azerbaijan, is watched by the Kremlin with Argus eyes. The Turkish expert on Russia Kerim Has from Moscow is, nonetheless, that the on the first of August, the beginning of military exercises, tensions between Ankara and Moscow can be the cause. That could change after the view Has, however, soon: “The signs that the Turkish government would like to build a military base in Azerbaijan permanently.” This would then bring serious potential for conflict between Ankara and Moscow with.
the reason for the skeptical attitude of Russian government towards the hegemonic aspirations of Ankara is Moscow, too, in the Region of shops. Russian energy companies like Gazprom in Gas supplies to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh in a monopoly position. Not only that, but Russia sees itself as a protecting power in Armenia, the arch-enemy of Azerbaijan. Since 1995, the Russian forces maintain a military base, only 15 kilometers from the Turkish border.
author: Daniel Derya Bellut, Deger Akal, Hilal Köylü
*The post “Turkish Big ambitions: Erdogan, the producer lights in the South Caucasus” published by Deutsche Welle. Contact with the executives here.
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