Recently, there have been developments in the Caucasus that may cause a war that will cover a wide region. At the center of this great tension is the Nagorno-Karabakh and Zangezur Corridor.
In Nagorno-Karabakh, thousands of illegally armed Armenians are in Azerbaijani-controlled lands, claiming that they are protecting Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians against Azerbaijan. The truth of the matter is that armed Armenians pose a threat to the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and they must be disarmed. The Armenian side cannot give a logical answer to the question of why thousands of armed Armenians are there in Nagorno-Karabakh, while there are Russian troops who acted as security guards for the Armenians within the scope of the ceasefire agreement in 2020. In this case, the Azerbaijani State rightly states that armed Armenians on its territory pose a threat to the security of the country and that they want them to be disarmed.
In November 2020, when the 2nd Karabakh War ended with Azerbaijan’s absolute superiority, the way was opened for the reshaping of the balance of power in the region. In the agreement signed after the war, it was envisaged that Armenia would withdraw from the lands it had held for nearly 30 years, and it was stated that new transportation corridors would be implemented thanks to the atmosphere of trust that would be created here. The new transportation connection to be opened between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan was one of the most important articles of this agreement. So much so that the transportation corridors from Central Asia to Azerbaijan were cut like a knife at this point, and Azerbaijan was prevented from connecting with Nakhchivan and subsequently with Turkey. With the implementation of the Zangezur corridor, the commercial, logistical and political ties of the Turkish world will be strengthened. Zengezur will be the shining star of the Turkish World.
The 43-kilometer distance between Nakhchivan and Azerbaijan is called the Zangezur corridor. Zangezur corridor will be one of the most important gates of the Turkish world. It will contribute to south-north transportation, bringing the potential of Central Asia to Turkey and beyond. It is certain that this corridor will make a great contribution to Armenia. With this corridor, Armenia will have a transit route with access to the sea and transportation routes from different regions.
Zangezur corridor is in the area of interest of many countries such as Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia and Turkey.
Iran, which sees itself as a regional power, fears that Azerbaijan will become a center of attraction for Azerbaijanis living in Iran, and predicts that its access to the Black Sea will be blocked due to the loss of its connection with Armenia with the opening of Zangezur. This situation is considered as a border change and a geostrategic regression to Iran’s detriment. For Iran, this is perceived as not being able to reach the Black Sea and Russia, decreasing its sphere of influence in the Caucasus, and losing its power as a transit country on the Belt and Road. All these perceptions and arguments of Iran aside, the main reason for concern about Zangezur will be that Azerbaijan and Turkey will become more active in the region. Thanks to the solidarity and military cooperation between Turkey and Azerbaijan in the 2nd Karabakh War, the two actors stand out as rising powers in the region. Iran will do everything it can to ensure that the balance of power in the region does not change against itself.
The cooperation between Turkey and Azerbaijan in the 2nd Karabakh war is a tremendous event that will go down in history. A strong victory with very important consequences was won through this brotherhood. With this victory, oppression in the region ended and peace was established. With this victory, peace and prosperity will come to the region.
Article 9 of the agreement signed after the 2nd Karabakh Victory includes the provision that Russia will maintain control over the Zangezur Corridor. This situation enables Russia to have a strong position in this geography.
Since many actors on the Zangezur Corridor have different interests, conflicting interests also cause tension in the region to increase.
It is observed that Armenia is not only violating the ceasefire in the region, but also digging trenches, opening new positions and building fortifications. Armenia should put aside provocations and provocations and focus on peace negotiations and cooperation. The path to regional peace and stability is through the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement. For this reason, the opening of the Zangezur corridor is of great importance.
The opening of Zangezur will make it easier for all countries in the region to connect with each other and with other geographies, and by strengthening trade and logistics relations, new business relations will replace tensions in parallel with the increase in prosperity.
Zengezur may be the shining star of the Turkish World, but in order to reveal its potential, the shadows and uncertainties on it need to be eliminated. To turn this geography, which is the historical Turkish homeland, into a shining star; It is directly linked to the development and sustainability of wealth, prosperity and multidimensional cooperation in the region.
Association for Combating Unfounded Genocide Claims (ASIMED)
Savaş Eğilmez
Comment here