Turkey bypasses Russia in the Caucasus through the Zangezur Corridor
During his recent visit to Istanbul, Armenian Prime Minister Pašinyan reportedly gave the green light to the “Turanian route”, which was one of Azerbaijan's main objectives in the war. A direct meeting with Aliyev to finalise the peace agreement between Yerevan and Baku is expected to take place in Baku in mid-July. This would be a turning point that would see Erdogan as the real winner in the region, given the weakening of Moscow and Tehran in global conflicts.
Yerevan (AsiaNews) - Armenian Turkologist Varoužan Gegamyan commented in Novosti. Armenia on the processes of redefining influences in the Caucasus region, where Turkey is increasingly occupying the space of Russia and Iran, which are engaged in global conflicts.
Referring to the events unfolding in Armenia, he notes that ‘while we are focused on the conflict between the government and the Church, with fears of ending up in an authoritarian and anti-popular system, on the external front there are very dynamic processes underway, which have accelerated after Prime Minister Nikol Pašinyan's visit to Istanbul.’
At that meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Prime Minister of Yerevan effectively gave the green light to the “Turanian Way”, known as the “Zangezur Corridor”, one of Azerbaijan's main goals in the conflict with Armenia, declaring on behalf of the people that this prospect “does not constitute a problem”.
In recent days, many Turkish and Azerbaijani news outlets have reported, citing anonymous sources, that an agreement has been reached between Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan for the creation of the “corridor”, while at the same time there is talk of the demobilisation of Russian military bases in Armenia.
A meeting between Pašinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev is also expected to take place in Dubai in mid-July, thanks to the mediation of the United Arab Emirates, to reach a final assessment of the peace agreement between Yerevan and Baku, which has not yet been signed.
Pashinyan has repeatedly stated that he intends to reach a settlement of the peace process by approving the concessions that the Azeris are still waiting for. while the amendment to the Armenian constitution remains pending due to internal procedures within the various political and legislative bodies, even though the prime minister has already made it clear that this should not be interpreted as a threat to territorial definitions, it is clear to Gegamyan that the decisive factor will be the issue of the Corridor.
Other diplomatic sources say that the parties are willing to discuss the American option for opening the corridor, leaving control of the roads to representatives of American companies and removing it from the Armenian authorities.
All this comes against a backdrop of growing tensions between Azerbaijan and Russia and Iran, with the Azeris talking about the opening of a Turkish military base in their country.
The Turkologist warns against these developments, which “would bring Armenia under Turkish control with the blessing of the West, which approves of the marginalisation of Russia and Iran... What would become of Armenia at that point? It seems that no one is interested in this question, not even the Armenians themselves”.
The game is still to be played: Russia has always considered the South Caucasus region to be one of the most at risk of dangerous upheavals, as it shares a long border with it and is home to various ethnic groups with historical and cultural ties to Russia, starting with Armenians and Georgians. Armenians and Azerbaijanis constitute two large diasporas within the Russian Federation, and Georgia is now home to many Russian expatriates fleeing the war in Ukraine, and it is not easy to maintain a balance between these different components.
Azerbaijan is an increasingly important partner in energy trade routes, passing through Turkey to many countries in Europe and the Mediterranean, as well as being an important market for Turkish products, starting with armaments, and many now call it “Turkey's showcase in the Caucasus”. The Zangezur Corridor would give a decisive definition to these geopolitical movements, and Armenia is trying not to be cut off, putting its sovereignty and future at risk.
.png)
28/09/2023 16:23
13/07/2023 09:50
09/08/2021 08:00
09/05/2018 15:29
