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ORSAM President: Ankara-Baku strategic cooperation strengthens stability in region

Kadir Temiz, President of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies (ORSAM)

24 November 2025 11:35 (UTC +04:00)

"The strategic alliance formed between Ankara and Baku allows for more effective management of processes in the region. Experts note that although the two countries are separate states, their interests and policies may differ in certain aspects. However, the alignment of strategic vision and core principles is the fundamental condition of the alliance, and this is a serious message regarding the strengthening of mutual cooperation with other countries," said Kadir Temiz, President of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies (ORSAM), during the First Forum of Azerbaijan–TürkiyeThink Tanks held in Shusha, APA's Karabakh bureau reports.

According to him, the main directions shaping Türkiye’s Middle East policy should be aligned with Azerbaijan–Türkiye cooperation.

“Türkiye’s regional policy has three main lines. The first is the security and stability approach. Ankara acts as a stabilizing actor in the region. Operations conducted in Syria and activities in Iraq can sometimes be criticized, but experts emphasize that this aims to strengthen the state capacity of the region and prevent terrorist groups from filling emerging gaps. This policy is important both for Türkiye’s security and for the restoration of order in the region.”

The second line is diplomatic normalization and regional cooperation. With the transition to the presidential system in 2017, Ankara began to use more flexible and operational mechanisms in foreign policy. Since that period, Türkiye has alleviated tensions with Syria, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and other countries, opening new dialogue channels in transport, energy, and trade sectors. Negotiations with Syria, the restoration of relations with Egypt, cooperation with Sudan and Libya, as well as coordination efforts in the Eastern Mediterranean are examples of diplomatic normalization.

The third line covers geoeconomic projects, covering energy security and transport corridors. Kadir Temiz stated that this plays an especially important role in the development of Azerbaijan–Türkiye relations. The Zangezur corridor, the Middle Corridor, energy transmission lines, and logistics routes turn the two countries into a complementary cooperation model. The “Development Road” project jointly implemented by Türkiye and Iraq—a transport line starting from Basra and extending to Europe via Türkiye—creates new economic integration opportunities in the region. In the future, if Syria stabilizes, it may be possible to expand this route.

“These three directions—security, diplomatic normalization, and geoeconomic cooperation—serve the deepening of strategic partnership with Azerbaijan. As a result, the model not only increases the regional influence of both countries but also creates new platforms for stability and development in the Middle East and the South Caucasus,” Kadir Temiz said.