Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Last updated: May 29, 2026
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Turkey has been a decisive actor in the South Caucasus conflicts at the center of Groong’s coverage. Turkish military support for Azerbaijan — including the supply of Bayraktar drones and facilitation of Syrian fighters — was a significant factor in Azerbaijan’s victory in the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh war. Erdogan publicly celebrated the outcome, framing it as a pan-Turkic triumph and deepening the strategic partnership between Ankara and Baku that has shaped regional dynamics ever since.
Groong’s coverage of Erdogan addresses several interlocking themes. On Armenia-Turkey relations, the normalization process that began in 2021 with the appointment of special envoys has remained stalled over Erdogan’s conditions linking progress to concessions in the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process — a linkage Armenia has resisted. On Pan-Turkism, Erdogan’s rhetoric and the Zangezur Corridor project reflect a vision of unbroken Turkish-Azerbaijani territorial continuity that analysts on Groong have described as strategically threatening to Armenian sovereignty over southern Armenia.
On broader geopolitics, Erdogan occupies a complicated position: a NATO member who has maintained working relations with Putin through the Ukraine war, a mediator in the Russia-Ukraine grain deal, a purchaser of Russian S-400 air defense systems, and a leader whose democratic backsliding and Kurdish policy have put him in frequent tension with Western partners. Groong episodes examine how these contradictions shape Turkey’s room for maneuver in the South Caucasus and what they mean for Armenia’s security calculus.
Episodes covering Erdogan address the Turkey-Azerbaijan-Armenia triangle, Turkey’s NATO role, and the implications of Ankara’s pan-Turkic ambitions for the long-term viability of an Armenian state on its historical territory.
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - June 12, 2022
Topics:
- The Opposition Activates Politics
- Russia Revises Lavrov’s Parukh Response
- War Dividends
- Caucasus Barometer Survey Takeaways
Guest:
- Hrant Mikaelian - TW/@Hrant_M
Host:
- Asbed Bedrossian - TW/@qubriq
Episode 142 | Recorded: Monday, June 13, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220612.html
#lavrov #armeniannews
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - June 12, 2022
Topics:
- The Opposition Activates Politics
- Russia Revises Lavrov’s Parukh Response
- War Dividends
- Caucasus Barometer Survey Takeaways
Guest:
- Hrant Mikaelian - TW/@Hrant_M
Host:
- Asbed Bedrossian - TW/@qubriq
Episode 142 | Recorded: Monday, June 13, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220612.html
#lavrov #armeniannews
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - June 5, 2022
Topics:
- 00:00 Introduction
- 02:52 Yerevan Protests Continue
- 24:30 State of Negotiations on Artsakh
- 42:27 MPG Gallup Poll Results
- 44:14 Rants
Guests:
Dr. Benyamin Poghosyan / TW/@Benyamin_Poghos
Host:
Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq Episode 141 | Recorded: Monday, June 6, 2022
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - June 5, 2022
Topics:
- 00:00 Introduction
- 02:52 Yerevan Protests Continue
- 24:30 State of Negotiations on Artsakh
- 42:27 MPG Gallup Poll Results
- 44:14 Rants
Guests:
Dr. Benyamin Poghosyan / TW/@Benyamin_Poghos
Host:
Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq Episode 141 | Recorded: Monday, June 6, 2022
Armenian News: Russia Geopolitics | Armenia Russia Rels | Israel & Armenia | Ep #140 - May 29, 2022 [EP140]
Posted on Wednesday, Jun 1, 2022 | Category: Russia, Armenia, Israel, Turkey, Iran, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Syria, Middle East, Economy, Geopolitics, Georgia, Artsakh, China, Genocide, India | Series: WIR
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - May 29, 2022
Topics:
00:00 Introduction
02:27 Russiaâs Geopolitics: Weâll get an update on the war as well as trying to understand what Russiaâs endgame is in Ukraine and how it may affect our region.
23:10 Armenia-Russia Relations: Next, we try to understand the dynamics of Armenia-Russian relations as well as the outlook for the future.
42:38 Israeli Interests and Armenia: Lastly, taking advantage of our guestâs area of expertise, we look at Israeli-Armenian relations, the history of failures in this area and what is needed for
Armenian News: Russia Geopolitics | Armenia Russia Rels | Israel & Armenia | Ep #140 - May 29, 2022 [EP140]
Posted on Wednesday, Jun 1, 2022 | Category: Russia, Armenia, Israel, Turkey, Iran, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Syria, Middle East, Economy, Geopolitics, Georgia, Artsakh, China, Genocide, IndiaArmenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - May 29, 2022
Topics:
00:00 Introduction
02:27 Russiaâs Geopolitics: Weâll get an update on the war as well as trying to understand what Russiaâs endgame is in Ukraine and how it may affect our region.
23:10 Armenia-Russia Relations: Next, we try to understand the dynamics of Armenia-Russian relations as well as the outlook for the future.
42:38 Israeli Interests and Armenia: Lastly, taking advantage of our guestâs area of expertise, we look at Israeli-Armenian relations, the history of failures in this area and what is needed for
ANCA Advocacy Agenda 2022 with Aram Hamparian | Ep #136 - May 13, 2022 [EP136]
Posted on Friday, May 13, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Turkey, Genocide, Armenian Genocide, Azerbaijan, India, Russia, Syria, Geopolitics, Iran, Israel, Ukraine, Artsakh, Georgia, Human Rights, Armenian Church, Middle East | Series: COG
ANCA Advocacy Agenda 2022 - MaY 13, 2022 A Conversation with ARAM SUREN HAMPARIAN
Topics:
- The US/Turkey F-35/F-16 Fallout
- US Aid to Armenia and Artsakh
- The Armenian Genocide Education Bill
- Dr. Oz is Mehmet Oz
- The US Election Cycles of 2022 and 2024
Guest:
- Aram Suren Hamparian is the Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America.
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 136 | Recorded on Thursday, May 12, 2022 Show notes: https://groong.org/podcasts/CoG-20220513.html
ANCA Advocacy Agenda 2022 with Aram Hamparian | Ep #136 - May 13, 2022 [EP136]
Posted on Friday, May 13, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Turkey, Genocide, Armenian Genocide, Azerbaijan, India, Russia, Syria, Geopolitics, Iran, Israel, Ukraine, Artsakh, Georgia, Human Rights, Armenian Church, Middle EastANCA Advocacy Agenda 2022 - MaY 13, 2022 A Conversation with ARAM SUREN HAMPARIAN
Topics:
- The US/Turkey F-35/F-16 Fallout
- US Aid to Armenia and Artsakh
- The Armenian Genocide Education Bill
- Dr. Oz is Mehmet Oz
- The US Election Cycles of 2022 and 2024
Guest:
- Aram Suren Hamparian is the Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America.
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 136 | Recorded on Thursday, May 12, 2022 Show notes: https://groong.org/podcasts/CoG-20220513.html
Armenian News: Opposition | Brussels | Alison | Economy | Poll | Artsakh | Ep #132 - Apr 10, 2022 [EP132]
Posted on Tuesday, Apr 12, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Armenia, Politics, Poll, Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iran, Ukraine, Economy, India, Georgia, Geopolitics, Human Rights | Series: WIR
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - April 10, 2022
Topics:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:25 Opposition Protests in Yerevan: Thousands showed up to the opposition protest on Tuesday, outlining the red lines for Pashinyan’s dealings with Aliyev, ahead of the meeting in Brussels. Opposition says this is only the beginning, but have yet to indicate what their next steps will be.
00:12:35 Buying Bread from a Man in Brussels: Pashinyan went to Brussels this week to meet with Charles Michel and Ilham Aliyev. Did the Armenian PM firmly set his foot down and demand Azerbaijan