Turkey was the first country that recognized Azerbaijan after the declaration of its independence in 1992. The relations between the two countries have been strategic over the past years and have been expanding in all different political, military, security, economic and cultural fields. (Photo quoted from Yahoo’s image)
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan has previously stated that the bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey are developing in all fields and the volume of trade between the two countries has increased.
In fact, having a look at the reasons behind the increase in bilateral relations, we can pay attention to it in several dimensions.In the political dimension, the politicians of Baku and Ankara always repeat the phrase "we are one nation and two states" in their dealings. It has also become a tradition for Azerbaijan and Turkey to pay their first official visit to other countries after the presidential election.
On the one hand, the expansion of relations with Turkey is one of the goals of Azerbaijan's foreign policy. Therefore, the widespread desire of the Republic of Azerbaijan to use the various opportunities and power of Turkey in order to improve its political and economic position has played an important role in expanding relations.On the other hand, Turkey's foreign policy towards Azerbaijan is influenced by various strategic and political factors. Since 2015, nationalist figures, along with the Justice and Development Party led by Bagce Lee, have supported Azerbaijan's presence in Turkey.
Therefore, they are considering the establishment of a high-level political dialogue mechanism, the establishment of a high-level strategic cooperation council, economic interdependence, the development of participatory economy projects and the strengthening of free trade and workflow, and etc. In this regard, the decision to establish a High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council and the signing of agreements on political-security cooperation is significant.
Turkey also sees good relations with Azerbaijan as an important opportunity to increase its position and become an influential regional power in the South Caucasus. Therefore, in addition to helping Baku in the war with the Armenians and the role of the third largest supplier of weapons to Azerbaijan, it wants more participation in the future political settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Turkey has even decided to establish military forces and even a military base on Azerbaijani territory. Turkey's military presence in Azerbaijan will have a significant impact on future decisions related to the Caucasus and economic-trade-transit between the North and the South.
In the economic dimension, the volume of trade between the two countries has increased compared to the previous year. About 2,000 Azerbaijani companies are operating in Turkey. Baku has invested $ 18.1 billion in the Turkish economy. 4,000 Turkish companies have invested $ 12.6 billion in Azerbaijan.
Also, a cooperation agreement has been signed between Baku and Ankara in 241 different areas. In this regard, the volume of trade between the two countries in 2023 with projects such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan crude oil pipeline, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, and the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline is expected to reach more than $ 15 billion.
Also the nature of bilateral relations is focused on energy exports and imports. Azerbaijan is very important for Turkey's energy security and is considered the main source of energy in the Turkish economy. Turkish gas imports from Azerbaijan increased by 23% in the first half of 2020.
The State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan, SOCAR, also has built its largest oil refinery in Turkey.
In another dimension, Turkey's relations with the Republic of Azerbaijan are influenced by historical, cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds.
In terms of cultural relations between the two countries, cooperation between Turkey and the Republic of Azerbaijan has been developed through non-governmental organizations, as well as universities and research institutes such as the Caucasus University. Furthermore, the two countries consider the increasing of the tourism reciprocity under the ‘Visa Mutual Exemption Agreement’ (signed in February 2020).
Farzad Ramezani Bonesh
Senior Researcher and Analyst of International Affairs
