What Turkey Really Wants In The War Over Nagorno-Karabakh: Control Over Central Asia

By Theodore Shoebat

What is one of the ultimate goals of Turkey’s support for Azerbaijan against the Armenians? Part of the ceasefire between the Azeris and Armenians is the construction of a corridor linking Azerbaijan with its region, Nakhichevan, which would run across Armenia. Since Nakhichevan borders with Turkey, and Azerbaijan is on the Caspian Sea which lies on the coasts of Central Asia, this would give Turkey direct access to the Caspian Sea and Central Asia:

Turkish President’s Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said in an interview with NTV:

“The opening of the corridor is at least as valuable as the liberation of Karabakh,”

Parliament Speaker Mustafa Shentop called it “the revival of the historic Silk Road.” “We will transfer our infrastructure investments and expertise in this area to Central Asia,” he promised. “We will also expand our economic, cultural, political and military ties with our brothers [in the region].”

Its about having a direct avenue to Central Asia, which Turkey wants to control. This lines up with the neo-Ottoman dream of a pan-Turkic union or really the creation of a Turkish NATO. Hence why Turkey commenced the formation of its Turkic Union (with which Hungary has been serving). One of the things that Russian brokered peace deal guaranteed was the formation of a corridor linking Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan. The corridor will begin in Azerbaijan, going through Armenia and then connecting with Nakhchivan, which borders right with Turkey. Thus, since Azerbaijan is a puppet state for Ankara, Turkey will have a direct line into Nakhchivan, through Armenia and Azerbaijan, and right into the Caspian Sea and the Turkic Central Asian countries. Such a corridor, says historian Emil Avdaliani, professor at the European University in Tbilisi, is the commencing of the long-standing envisioning of the Turkish government, “a means to increase their influence in Central Asia.”

But there is just one impediment to this goal, and that is Russia. Since it will be the Russians who will be supervising and monitoring what goes through this corridor. The Turks, however, believe that they will be free from Russia’s watch, and thus will be able to use the corridor in the future. In the words of Armenian academic, Ruben Aramovich (who serves at the National Academy of Sciences in Armenia):

“Transportation on this road will be carried out under the supervision of Russian border guards. Having taken this step, allowing Nakhichevan to receive direct communication to mainland Azerbaijan, Russia will nevertheless retain the right to control what will be transported there. On the other hand, the unblocking of this road (Nakhchivan-Azerbaijan), of course, will serve the strategic goals of Turkey. Not now, but in the future, apparently, they assume that it will be possible to free themselves from the control of Russia”

Since Russia is a hinderance to the Turkish dream, the two former empires will (more than likely) ultimately clash (for the cause of reviving their empires).

We have now come to a place where we can talk about the revival of empires and countries conquering each other, and not sound far-fetched or as though we are exaggerating.

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