Turkish professor: Karabakh victory brought Turkic states closer together

Karabakh victory brought Turkic states closer together, Professor Hilmi Demir, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Institute of the Turkish Economic Policy Research Foundation, said at a roundtable discussion on "Threats and Opportunities Created by New Geopolitical Realities for Turkish-Azerbaijani Relations."

Demir noted that with the Karabakh victory, a new stage opened in terms of natural resources, as well as corridors:

"This victory has cleared the way for the elimination of unfounded fears. With this, the Turkic world has become the center of attention. It is now clear to everyone that it is not right to evaluate Central Asia only with the five existing countries.

"With the victory in Karabakh, Türkiye's policy towards Central Asia is rapidly moving from words to deeds. The victory has brought the Turkic states closer together. Türkiye has become a leading actor in the region, especially in the field of the defense industry."

The professor believes that Türkiye has become an integral part of Central Asia, via the Caucasus, and the Caspian Basin, thanks to Azerbaijan's victory in Karabakh:

"Türkiye has taken a proactive role in cooperation in Central Asia and the Caspian region. However, Türkiye's increased influence in this region as a result of the Karabakh victory has seriously worried some forces.

"From this perspective, in the near future the region may become a battleground for those fighting for influence. Currently, the attention paid to the Caspian basin has increased significantly. However, the uncertainty of the future of the Russia-Ukraine war also makes the solution to the problems uncertain."