The Karabakh War: Azerbaijan's Geopolitical Superiority Over Armenians

Year 2024, Volume: 10 Issue: Kafkasya Araştırmaları Özel Sayısı, 200 - 212, 01.09.2024

Mehmetali Kasım , Recep Çiçek

https://doi.org/10.22466/acusbd.1528631

Abstract

Both modern-day Armenia and Azerbaijan were part of the Soviet Union from the 1920s to 1991. During that time, Nagorno-Karabakh, which had a multiethnic population mostly consisting of ethnic Armenians and Azerbaijani Turks, was officially controlled by Azerbaijan. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan and Armenia became independent states. Since then, the struggle between Azerbaijan and Armenia has remained on the status of Karabakh. In the first Karabakh War, Armenia gained the upper hand with the help of Russia over unprepared and isolated Azerbaijan. While Karabakh is legally considered part of Azerbaijan, this region was controlled mainly by Armenian-backed separatist governments. Over the past several decades, Azerbaijan has prepared itself well to regain lost territory by developing its economy, training military personnel, acquiring cutting-edge equipment, and building diplomatic assets. In the recent Karabakh War, Azerbaijan gained geopolitical advantages, outperformed its rival Armenia in almost every arena, and successfully liberated most of its lost territory. The Azerbaijani government has been working on rebuilding and reconstructing liberated territories under the new local administration of Karabakh.

Keywords

Azerbaijan, Armenia, Karabakh, Geopolitical Advantage, Liberation of Lost Territory.

Karabağ Savaşı: Azerbaycan'ın Ermenilere Karşı Jeopolitik Üstünlüğü

Abstract

Hem günümüz Ermenistan hem de Azerbaycan, 1920'lerden 1991'e kadar Sovyetler Birliği'nin parçasıydı. Bu süre zarfında, çoğunlukla etnik Ermeniler ve Azerbaycan Türkleri başta olmak üzere çok etnikli bir demografik yapıya sahip olan Karabağ resmi olarak Azerbaycan'ın kontrolündeydi. Sovyetler Birliği'nin dağılmasından sonra Azerbaycan ve Ermenistan bağımsız devletler haline gelmiştir. Birinci Karabağ Savaşı'nda Ermenistan, hazırlıksız ve yalnız kalmış Azerbaycan'a karşı Rusya'nın yardımıyla üstünlük sağlamıştır. Karabağ yasal olarak Azerbaycan'ın bir parçası olarak görülse de bu bölge çoğunlukla Ermeni destekli ayrılıkçı hükümetlerin kontrolü altındaydı. O tarihten bu yana Azerbaycan ile Ermenistan arasında Karabağ'ın statüsü konusundaki mücadele devam etmiştir. Geçtiğimiz birkaç on yıl boyunca Azerbaycan, ekonomisini geliştirerek, askeri personeli eğiterek, son teknoloji ekipmanlar satın alarak ve diplomatik ilişkiler geliştirerek kaybettiği toprakları geri kazanmaya kendini iyi hazırlamıştır. Son Karabağ Savaşı'nda Azerbaycan elde ettiği jeopolitik avantajlar ile, neredeyse her alanda rakibi Ermenistan'a karşı üstünlük sağlayarak kaybettiği toprakları başarıyla özgürlüğe kavuşturmuştur. Azerbaycan hükümeti, Karabağ'ın yeni yerel yönetimi altında kurtarılmış bölgelerin yeniden inşası için çalışmalar yapmaya devam etmektedir.

Keywords

Azerbaycan, Ermenistan, Dağlık Karabağ, Jeopolitik Avantaj, Kayıp Toprakların Özgürleştirilmesi.

Ethical Statement

Bu çalışmayla ilgili herhangi çıkar çatışması söz konusu değildir ve etik kurul belgesi gerektirmemektedir.

Supporting Institution

Yok

References

• Alkan, N. and Mehdizadehyoushanlouei, M. (2020). Birinci ve İkinci Karabağ Savaşlarinda Türkiye-Azerbaycan İlişkileri. UPA Strategic Affairs, 4 (2),204–227.
• Atasuntsev, A. (2023, October 13). Long-standing ties between Armenia and Russia are fraying fast. Carnegie endowment. https://carnegieendowment.org adresinden 13.10.2023 tarihinde alınmıştır.
• Azatutyun. (2022, July 27). Remittances to Armenia Soar in 2022. Azatutyun. https://www.azatutyun.am/a/31962301.html.
• Bhan, A, (2022, November 1). India’s Pinaka export to Armenia positions it against pan-Turkism. http://20.244.136.131/expert-speak/indias-pinaka-export-to-armenia-positions-it-against-pan-turkism
• Bhutia, S. (2019, Oct 28). Armenia-Azerbaijan: Who’s the big defense spender? EurasiaNet. https://eurasianet.org/armenia-azerbaijan-whos-the-big-defense-spender
• Broers, L. (2024, Jan 2). The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic: The life and death of an unrecognized state. EurasiaNet. https://eurasianet.org/the-nagorno-karabakh-republic-the-life-and-death-of-an-unrecognized-state.
• Council of Europe. (2024). Observations on the Human Rights Situation of People affected by the Conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Karabakh region. Commissioner for Human Rights. Strasbourg. RM. https://rm.coe.int/observations-on-the-human-rights-situation-of-people-affected-by-the-c/1680ae228c
• Data World Bank. (2024). Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines (% of population) - Azerbaijan, Armenia. Data World Bank. https://data.worldbank.org/
• Economist. (2023, September 21). Azerbaijan is close to taking control of Nagorno-Karabakh. Economist. https://www.economist.com/europe/.
• Gullap, S, and Mellinger, A. (1998). Geography and Economic Development. International Regional Science Review, 22(2), 179–232.
• Imranly, K. (2007). Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict: origins and consequences. World of Diplomacy, (17), 7-13.
• Jannatov, A. J. (2016). A Brief History of Karabakh and Armenian– Azerbaijani Relations: Before the First Armenian– Muslim Clash (1905-1906). International Journal of Historical Research, (1), 51-62.
• Kasapoglu, C. (2021). Hard Fighting in The Caucasus: The Azerbaijani Armed Forces’ Combat Performance and Military Strategy in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War. SAM, (18),1-36.
• Martirosyan, L. (2023, October 9). Displacement of Ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh and New Wave of Tensions between Armenia and Russia. FREIHEIT. https://www.freiheit.org/south-caucasus/displacement-ethnic-armenians-nagorno-karabakh-and-new-wave-tensions-between-armenia
• Phelps, A. (2022, March 13). Human Rights Abuses from the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War. INSIGHTS. https://insights.grcglobalgroup.com/human-rights-abuses-from-the-2020-nagorno-karabakh-war-2/ Polgeonow. (2020, October). Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) Control Map & Timeline. Polgeonow. https://www.polgeonow.com/2020/10/nagorno-karabakh-artsakh-conflict-map-2020.html 10.
• Saltman, M. (2023, October 4). As Azerbaijan claims a final victory in Nagorno Karabakh, its arms trade with Israel comes under scrutiny. EDITION. https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/04/middleeast/azerbaijan-israel-weapons-mime-intl/index.html
• Şıhaliyev, E. (2023). Iran’s Armenia and Azerbaijan Policy: Geopolitical Realities and Comparative Analysis. Journal of General Turkish History Research. Special Issue for the 100th Anniversary of the Republic of Turkey, Special Issue October, 329-340.
• Tashjian, Y. (2022, October 15). Why is India arming Armenia against Azerbaijan? THE CRADLE. https://new.thecradle.co/articles-id/2495
• The Associated Press. (2023, Oct 02). Azerbaijan moves to reaffirm control of Nagorno-Karabakh as the Armenian exodus slows to a trickle. The Associated Press. https://apnews.com/article/armenia-azerbaijan-nagorno-karabakh-separatist-4c5983327329e01c8647dffaddc486b6
• Trendeconomy. (2023, Dec 10). Azerbaijan. TREND ECONOMY. https://trendeconomy.com/data/h2/Azerbaijan/TOTAL
• TRT Haber. (2023, November 08). Azerbaycan'ın Karabağ'daki zaferinin üzerinden üç yıl geçti. TRT. https://www.trthaber.com/haber/azerbaycan/azerbaycanin-karabagdaki-zaferinin-uzerinden-uc-yil-gecti-810895.html