... and stability—and not a Eurasian “powder keg”— are the final goal.
1
. Holmes, J.W. Most Safely in the Middle // International Journal, Spring 1984. Vol. 39. № 2, pp. 366–388.
2
. Golmohammadi, V. and Markedonov, S.M. How Iran Perceives Turkey’s Rise in the South Caucasus // Russia in Global Affairs. 2024. Vol. 22. № 1. Pp. 152–175.
3
. Leksyutina, Ya. V. China in South Caucasus: The Scale of Economic Presence // Post-Soviet Studies, 2022, vol. 5, #1, pp. 57-72
... factor can be perceived as a healthy competition for the arms market.
Implications for Turkey
Lana Rawandi-Fadai:
What North-South International Transport Corridor Means for Iran
One of the beneficiaries of the change in the balance of power in the South Caucasus following the 2020 war is Turkey. It has
legitimized
its military presence in the region,
signed
a strategic document with Azerbaijan and successfully
promoted
its "3+3" negotiation format, which was accepted by the key centers of power—Russia and Iran. In other ...
... the Turkish strategy of strengthening its positions in Eurasia has created additional tensions in Ankara’s relations with its NATO allies and with Iran.
However, the events of 2020 did not lead to changes in just one region of the post-Soviet space. Turkey’s growing presence in the South Caucasus has opened up opportunities for it to build up political and economic influence in the Black Sea. And the expansion of multifaceted cooperation with Ukraine is one of the most obvious consequences of Turkey’s encroachment into the former ...
... encourage its ally to do so in order to help its own increasingly impoverished people by opening up new opportunities for long-term economic development in that landlocked country.
Russia truly deserves respect for not allowing its friendly competition with Turkey in the South Caucasus during the latest conflict to turn into an unfriendly one, but this relationship must be closely managed since Turkey aspires to establish a transregional sphere of influence across all Turkic states, including those in
Central Asia
.
...
... the Siege of Ochakov to the “Battle for the Straits” there are countless examples of states competing for the region. Today, we are witnessing fierce rivalry between Russia and the West for influence over the geopolitical space stretching from the South Caucasus to the Balkans. However, this familiar picture requires a certain touch-up.
In recent years, one of the dominant features of the rivalry on the Black Sea – namely Russia–Turkey relations – has changed significantly. In the past, the Russian and Ottoman empires found themselves on opposite sides in no fewer than 12 wars (if you count the Turkish front in the First World War). And today, relations between Moscow and Ankara,...
