https://arab.news/bg4rs
Turkiye and the Gulf states are carefully reading the zeitgeist and seizing the moment in the South Caucasus. The Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process is progressing at a time when the region is no longer seen as a backyard of the traditional players. Instead, it is approached as a strategic location that offers value, motivating both Ankara and the Gulf capitals to recalibrate their policies in a coordinated approach.
For years, the South Caucasus was dominated by the intense rivalry between local actors Azerbaijan and Armenia, along with the involvement of global powers, namely Russia and the West. Thus, opportunities for the Gulf states and Turkiye to extend their presence in the region and cooperate for common goals were limited.
But five key developments have opened the door to increased Turkish-Gulf influence in the South Caucasus. First, the 2021 AlUla Declaration that ended the diplomatic rift among the Gulf states; second, the Turkish-Gulf normalization process; third, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; fourth, the decline of Iran’s regional influence; and, lastly and most importantly, the peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan, signed under the auspices of US President Donald Trump last month.
