Turkey’s Growing Central Asian Influence Is an Opportunity for Joe Biden
The role America hoped Turkey would have played in Central Asia after the fall of the Soviet Union is slowly becoming a reality.
As Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan proudly watches his country’s premier drone, the Baykar TB2, on full display at a victory parade in Baku with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev, talk of Azerbaijan’s accomplishment echoes in Central Asia in a common Turkic tongue. After thirty years of Russian-backed Armenian occupation and many failed attempts by the international community to bring about a resolution, the once inconceivable idea of liberating Nagorno-Karabakh became reality. Turkey’s diplomatic and military support played a key role in the latest episode of this frozen conflict, which ended with a Russian-brokered ceasefire. While Azerbaijan was the biggest winner, the outcome awarded Turkey with a military presence in the Caucuses and a coveted corridor thr
The Karabakh Ceasefire and Regional Economic Projects Thursday, 28 January 2021
January 28, 2021, the CACI Analyst
The Second Karabakh War lasted for 44 days, ending on November 10, 2020 with the 9-point ceasefire agreement agreed by Azerbaijan and Armenia under Russian mediation. According to the ceasefire, the Armenian side will withdraw from the seven regions surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh; a Russian Peace Force will control the Lachin corridor connecting Karabakh with Armenia and Russia’s Border Service (FSB) will supervise the highway between Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan. Turkey is also a party to ensuring compliance with the ceasefire, setting up observation points and cooperating with Russia regarding negotiations between the parties. The end of the war might eventually bring the parties to a peace agreement and allow for regular overland transport between Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey. This perspective could help revive the Silk Road between East and West in the South
CHINA / DIPLOMACY By Xie Wenting Published: Jan 27, 2021 07:28 PM
Editor s Note:
On Monday, Turkey received another 6.5 million Chinese COVID-19 vaccines which will be used in the country s nationwide vaccination plan. The two countries have maintained close cooperation in the battle against the virus from the outset of the outbreak to the current vaccination stage. In addition to cooperating in fighting COVID-19, the two countries also push forward cooperation in other fields, like judicially and economically. Some Western media outlets tried to taint this close relationship and made groundless accusations about the extradition bill between the two countries. How will bilateral relations develop under such circumstances? When will Turkey ratify the extradition bill? Global Times reporter Xie Wenting (GT) talked with Turkish Ambassador to China Abdulkadir Emin Önen (Önen).
Turkey, Iran, Pakistan Rail Link to Enhance China’s Belt and Road
(Nikkei Asia) The governments of Turkey, Iran and Pakistan will revive a transnational rail service linking Istanbul, Tehran and Islamabad in 2021. The ITI transnational railroad is expected to enhance connectivity with China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) by providing a rail connection between China and Turkey, Nikkei Asia has learned.
The roots of this grand project can be found in the ITI Container Train Service launched in 2009 under the umbrella of the Economic Cooperation Organization. ECO is a 10-member political and economic intergovernmental organization founded in 1985 by Iran, Pakistan and Turkey.
29 Dec 2020 in 22:37 Nikkei Asia
The governments of Turkey, Iran and Pakistan will revive a transnational rail service linking Istanbul, Tehran and Islamabad in 2021. The ITI transnational railroad is expected to enhance connectivity with China s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) by providing a rail connection between China and Turkey, Nikkei Asia writes in the article
The roots of this grand project can be found in the ITI Container Train Service launched in 2009 under the umbrella of the Economic Cooperation Organization. ECO is a 10-member political and economic intergovernmental organization founded in 1985 by Iran, Pakistan and Turkey.
The container service only got as far as test runs, however, and was never fully operational. Even so, the three countries always planned to follow up the initial freight trains with passenger services. The immense route stretches 6,540 km more than a sixth of the world s circumference. Some 1,950 km of track is in Turkey, 2,600 km in Iran,