Turkey may become the main energy hub of Eurasia through Meghri corridor - Varuzhan Geghamyan
"Since 2013-2013, Turkey has been involved in all regional conflicts through military force," expert in Turkish studies Varuzhan Geghamyan said at the First Armenian-American Political Science Forum held in Yerevan on Saturday. In the words of the expert, before that, in 2010, Turkey ran a policy of soft power in the frames of the so-called 'zero problem with neighbors' doctrine. That was realized through Turkish films which appeared to serve as an effective tool to work with different publics, and it is no coincidence that Turkish states is today directly involved in production of television series.
Geghamyan noted that starting from 2014, Turkish foreign policy got militarized - that is to say the country sought provoking wars and getting involved to defend own interests and ensure its presence there.
"As part of that policy Turkey entered Artsakh in 2020," said Geghamyan, adding Turkey's foreign policy in the South Caucasus is implemented not only through military means but also through soft power in Azerbaijan and Georgia.
According to the expert, at present the primary task of Turkey is to get a corridor through Armenia's Syunik province. That will allow Turkey to accumulate strategic resources in the region, specifically for the new gas routes.
"With that, Turkey will become the main energy hub in Eurasia; All energy infrastructure passing from Asia to West and bypassing Russia will pass through the territory of Turkey," Geghamyan explained, adding Turkey is exerting more efforts to get the corridor today than it did for the outcome of the Karabakh war.
"Turkey's role will dramatically increase in the South Caucasus through Syunik corridor and later it can sell that to Russia, for example," concluded the expert.