Turkey's Approach to the Nagorno-Karabakh Crisis (2003-2020)

Abstract

Objective: The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was one of the longest-standing international crises. It officially started on February 20, 1988, and not ended until Dec. 2020, when a cease-fire was signed and involved a military confrontation between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Republic of Azerbaijan, as the most important factor in the geopolitical region of the South Caucasus, after obtaining its independence faced the crisis ensued from the occupation of the land at the hands of Armenia. It later turned into an international crisis due to the intervention of some external powers. In the meantime, Turkey, as an ally of the Republic of Azerbaijan, has always tried to maintain its position among regional and trans-regional actors through its intervention in the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis. Therefore, the main purpose of the research is to explain Turkey's foreign policy approach toward the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis and likewise this article tries to focus on the developments of this approach during the governance period of the Justice and Development Party since 2003. Methods:The method used in this study is descriptive - analytical based on the geopolitical theory and library resources. Result: According to the findings of this study, Turkey's foreign policy released it from unilateralism and one-way commitment and will run the fluidity as the strong factor in its foreign policy structure to supply its profits in Nagorno-Karabakh. In fact, Turkey benefits from the Nagorno-Karabakh, more than before now. It seems that Turkey has helped the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh radically changed in favour of Baku which in the long term is in its own favour. Conclusion: The results show that, by following the 'strategic depth' doctrine, influenced by the policy of detente of its neighbours and neo-Ottomanism, Turkey has followed the path of advocacy of Western policies toward independence and influence over the South Caucasus and Karabakh regions in pursuit of its national interests.