Ankara

Last updated: June 10, 2026

Ankara serves as the seat of Turkish state power and the command center for Turkey’s expansive regional ambitions in the South Caucasus. Turkish foreign policy under Recep Tayyip Erdogan has consistently backed Ilham Aliyev and Azerbaijan’s military and territorial objectives, most visibly during the 44-Day War in 2020 and again through Turkey’s refusal to recognize Armenia’s sovereignty over Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) or acknowledge the rights of Armenians displaced from the region. Turkey’s pan-Turanic ideology—the vision of linking Turkish and Azerbaijani power across the region—drives Ankara’s insistence on what it calls the “Zangezur Corridor” through Armenian Syunik province. In contrast, the United States frames the same transit route as TRIPP (Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity), a project designed to connect Asia to Europe while bypassing Russia and Iran and serving American strategic interests in critical minerals and limiting Chinese and Russian influence. This terminological and strategic divide reflects a deeper contest over who will dominate the corridor infrastructure and the region’s geopolitical alignment.

Ankara’s position has hardened as Iran war dynamics have reshaped the region. In episode 525, Eldar Mamedov examined how Turkey’s ambiguous posture toward the widening US-Israeli conflict against Iran leaves room for Azerbaijan to move closer to Israel while Turkey itself maintains plausible deniability. Turkey has also consolidated control over northern Syria through its backed forces, expanding its footprint in the Middle East in ways that complicate its relationship with both Iran and Russia. These moves have implications for Armenia: as Varuzhan Geghamyan outlined in episode 524, Turkey’s continued support for the “Zangezur Corridor” agenda reflects Ankara’s view of Armenia as an obstacle to pan-Turanic regional integration, a framing that persists regardless of whether the corridor is ever operationalized.

The tension between Ankara’s regional dominance and European and American alternative visions for the South Caucasus creates structural instability. Europe , dependent on Azerbaijani gas to replace lost Russian supplies, has found itself unable to push back against Turkish-Azerbaijani territorial and demographic claims with any force. Meanwhile, the United States under Donald Trump has pursued transactional partnerships with both Turkey and Azerbaijan, treating them as tools for containing Iran and China rather than as actors whose interests might conflict with Armenian sovereignty or TRIPP’s stated aims. Ankara’s willingness to coordinate with Baku on ethnic cleansing from Artsakh, coupled with its historical Armenian Genocide denial, means that Turkish policy has consistently worked to erase Armenian presence from territories Turkey and Azerbaijan control. This erasure is not incidental to Turkish regional strategy; it is central to it.

Groong episodes that include this tag

Below are all Groong episodes tagged with Ankara.

Armenia, Superpowers and The New Cold War | (Ep #68) - June 8, 2021 [EP68]

Posted on Tuesday, Jun 8, 2021 | Category: Russia, Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, China, Ukraine, Economy, Azerbaijan, India, Iran, Artsakh, Genocide, Middle East, Syria, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO | Series: cog

Armenia, Superpowers and The New Cold War

A Conversation with:

Guest:

  • Dr. Pietro Shakarian, who is a Cleveland-based historian of Russia and the Soviet Union, with a focus on Soviet Armenia and the Caucasus during the era of Nikita Khrushchev’s Thaw.

Topics

  • Democracy-building in the Post Soviet Space
  • NATO and expansion
  • Russia in the Caucasus
  • China and the New Silk Road through Iran and Georgia

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Hovik Manucharyan
  • Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 68 | Recorded: June 4, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/CoG-20210608.html

Armenia, Superpowers and The New Cold War | (Ep #68) - June 8, 2021 [EP68]

Posted on Tuesday, Jun 8, 2021 | Category: Russia, Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, China, Ukraine, Economy, Azerbaijan, India, Iran, Artsakh, Genocide, Middle East, Syria, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO

Armenia, Superpowers and The New Cold War

A Conversation with:

Guest:

  • Dr. Pietro Shakarian, who is a Cleveland-based historian of Russia and the Soviet Union, with a focus on Soviet Armenia and the Caucasus during the era of Nikita Khrushchev’s Thaw.

Topics

  • Democracy-building in the Post Soviet Space
  • NATO and expansion
  • Russia in the Caucasus
  • China and the New Silk Road through Iran and Georgia

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Hovik Manucharyan
  • Asbed Bedrossian

Episode 68 | Recorded: June 4, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/CoG-20210608.html

Armenia-Russia | Iran-Russia/Iran-Armenia | Election Latest Polls | Sargsyan (Ep #60) - May 2, 2021 [EP60]

Posted on Monday, May 3, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Poll, Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, China, Turkey, Genocide, Geopolitics, Ukraine, Middle East, Artsakh, Economy, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO | Series: wir

ANN/Groong Week in Review - May 2, 2021

Topics:

  • Armenia-Russia Relations and the New Cold War
  • Iran-Russia and Iran-Armenia Relations
  • Election Politics and the Latest MPG Polls
  • Serge Sargsyan’s Interview

Guests:

  • Marine Manucharyan @armoland
  • Pietro Shakarian

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Asbed Bedrossian @qubriq
  • Hovik Manucharyan @HovikYerevan

Episode 60 | Recorded: May 2, 2021

Armenia-Russia | Iran-Russia/Iran-Armenia | Election Latest Polls | Sargsyan (Ep #60) - May 2, 2021 [EP60]

Posted on Monday, May 3, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Poll, Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, China, Turkey, Genocide, Geopolitics, Ukraine, Middle East, Artsakh, Economy, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO

ANN/Groong Week in Review - May 2, 2021

Topics:

  • Armenia-Russia Relations and the New Cold War
  • Iran-Russia and Iran-Armenia Relations
  • Election Politics and the Latest MPG Polls
  • Serge Sargsyan’s Interview

Guests:

  • Marine Manucharyan @armoland
  • Pietro Shakarian

Guest(s):

Hosts:

  • Asbed Bedrossian @qubriq
  • Hovik Manucharyan @HovikYerevan

Episode 60 | Recorded: May 2, 2021

Early Elections on June 20th | Gas through Azerbaijan | Military Exercises | (Ep #54) - 03/21/2021 [EP54]

Posted on Tuesday, Mar 23, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Georgia, Syria, Turkey, Israel, Genocide, Iran, China | Series: wir

Guest(s):

ANN/Groong Week in Review - March 21, 2021

Topics:

  • Snap On - June 20th!
  • Gas Through Azerbaijan
  • Military Exercises by Armenia and Azerbaijan

Guests

  • David Davidian
  • Emil Sanamyan

Hosts

  • Hovik Manucharyan
  • Asbed Bedrossian

Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210321.html Episode 54 | Recorded: March 21, 2021

Early Elections on June 20th | Gas through Azerbaijan | Military Exercises | (Ep #54) - 03/21/2021 [EP54]

Posted on Tuesday, Mar 23, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Georgia, Syria, Turkey, Israel, Genocide, Iran, China

Guest(s):

ANN/Groong Week in Review - March 21, 2021

Topics:

  • Snap On - June 20th!
  • Gas Through Azerbaijan
  • Military Exercises by Armenia and Azerbaijan

Guests

  • David Davidian
  • Emil Sanamyan

Hosts

  • Hovik Manucharyan
  • Asbed Bedrossian

Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210321.html Episode 54 | Recorded: March 21, 2021

Constitutional Amendment | Opp Rising | Zarif Tour | Virus Update | Armenia Fund & the Dram (Ep #47) [EP47]

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 2, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Iran, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Economy, Israel, Russia, Artsakh, Geopolitics, Turkey, Nagorno Karabakh | Series: wir

Guest(s):

ANN/Groong Week in Review - Jan 31, 2021

Topics Covered:

  • Another Constitutional Amendment?
  • Opposition Rising: New Bottle, Old Wine?
  • Iran’s FM Zarif on a Tour de Six
  • State of the Virus in Armenia
  • Armenia Fund Used to Shore up the Dram?

Guests

  • Asbed Kotchikian
  • Hrant Mikaelian

Your Hosts:

  • Alen Zamanyan
  • Asbed Bedrossian

Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210131.html Episode 47 | Recorded on January 31, 2021

Constitutional Amendment | Opp Rising | Zarif Tour | Virus Update | Armenia Fund & the Dram (Ep #47) [EP47]

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 2, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Iran, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Economy, Israel, Russia, Artsakh, Geopolitics, Turkey, Nagorno Karabakh

Guest(s):

ANN/Groong Week in Review - Jan 31, 2021

Topics Covered:

  • Another Constitutional Amendment?
  • Opposition Rising: New Bottle, Old Wine?
  • Iran’s FM Zarif on a Tour de Six
  • State of the Virus in Armenia
  • Armenia Fund Used to Shore up the Dram?

Guests

  • Asbed Kotchikian
  • Hrant Mikaelian

Your Hosts:

  • Alen Zamanyan
  • Asbed Bedrossian

Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20210131.html Episode 47 | Recorded on January 31, 2021

Artsakh War: Security situation | Diplomatic activity | Humanitarian impact (Ep. 21) [EP21]

Posted on Tuesday, Oct 13, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Turkey, Russia, Human Rights, Genocide, Syria | Series: wir

Guest(s):

ANN/Groong Week in Review - October 12, 2020

Topics Covered:

  • Security situation on the ground;
  • Diplomatic activity, short & long term goals;
  • Humanitarian impact in Artsakh & Armenia;
  • Effect of social media on the war.

Your Hosts:

  • Asbed Bedrossian
  • Asbed Kotchikian

Resident Panelists:

  • Lara Aharonian: Co-founder & co-director of the Women’s Resource Center NGO in Yerevan
  • Robert Avetisyan: Representative of Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the US

Episode 21 Recorded: Oct 12, 2020 Full details: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20201012.html Playlist: WiR (Week in Review)