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: 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
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
Armenian News: Ukraine Crisis Update | Parukh - Brussels - Moscow | Ep #131 - Apr 3, 2022 [EP131]
Posted on Monday, Apr 4, 2022 | Category: Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, China, Genocide, Artsakh, India, Human Rights, Armenian Genocide, Iran, Middle East | Series: WIR
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - April 3, 2022
Topics:
- 00:00 Intro
- 01:12 Ukraine Crisis Update
- 37:16 Parukh - Brussels - Moscow
- 58:43 Rants
Guest:
- Pietro Shakarian
Host:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 131 | Recorded: Sunday, April 4, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220403.html
Armenian News: Ukraine Crisis Update | Parukh - Brussels - Moscow | Ep #131 - Apr 3, 2022 [EP131]
Posted on Monday, Apr 4, 2022 | Category: Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, China, Genocide, Artsakh, India, Human Rights, Armenian Genocide, Iran, Middle EastArmenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - April 3, 2022
Topics:
- 00:00 Intro
- 01:12 Ukraine Crisis Update
- 37:16 Parukh - Brussels - Moscow
- 58:43 Rants
Guest:
- Pietro Shakarian
Host:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 131 | Recorded: Sunday, April 4, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220403.html
Armenian News: Askeran Incursion | Artsakh Still Without Gas | Pax Azeriana | Ep. 130 - Mar 27, 2022 [EP130]
Posted on Monday, Mar 28, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, Turkey, Russia | Series: WIR
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - March 27, 2022
Topics:
- Introduction
- Azerbaijan Incursions into Askeran Region
- Artsakh Still Without Natural Gas
- Pax Azeriana
Guest:
Episode 130 | Recorded: Monday, March 28, 2022
Armenian News: Askeran Incursion | Artsakh Still Without Gas | Pax Azeriana | Ep. 130 - Mar 27, 2022 [EP130]
Posted on Monday, Mar 28, 2022 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, Turkey, RussiaArmenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - March 27, 2022
Topics:
- Introduction
- Azerbaijan Incursions into Askeran Region
- Artsakh Still Without Natural Gas
- Pax Azeriana
Guest:
Episode 130 | Recorded: Monday, March 28, 2022
Renewed Hostilities in Artsakh | Ukraine | FM Arabat Mirzoyan in Antalya | Ep #128 - Mar 13, 2022 [EP128]
Posted on Monday, Mar 14, 2022 | Category: Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Artsakh, Syria, Iran, Armenian Church | Series: WIR
ANN/Groong Week in Review - March 13, 2022
Topics:
- Renewed Hostilities in Artsakh
- Update on Ukraine
- FM “Arabat” Mirzoyan in Antalya
Guest:
- Dr. Pietro Shakarian
Host:
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
Episode 128 | Recorded: Sunday, March 13, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220313.html
Renewed Hostilities in Artsakh | Ukraine | FM Arabat Mirzoyan in Antalya | Ep #128 - Mar 13, 2022 [EP128]
Posted on Monday, Mar 14, 2022 | Category: Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Artsakh, Syria, Iran, Armenian ChurchANN/Groong Week in Review - March 13, 2022
Topics:
- Renewed Hostilities in Artsakh
- Update on Ukraine
- FM “Arabat” Mirzoyan in Antalya
Guest:
- Dr. Pietro Shakarian
Host:
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
Episode 128 | Recorded: Sunday, March 13, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220313.html
Ukraine | Dismissing Generals | 2nd Normalization Meeting | New President | Ep #126 - Mar 6, 2022 [EP126]
Posted on Monday, Mar 7, 2022 | Category: Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Turkey, China, Economy, Syria, Genocide, Iran, Azerbaijan, Geopolitics, Georgia, India | Series: WIR
ANN/Groong Week in Review - March 6, 2022
Topics:
- 00:00 Introduction
- 01:15 Ukraine War and Effects on Armenia
- 19:04 Armenia Shuffles Generals
- 25:15 Second Normalization Meeting
- 33:06 Armenian Parliament Elects New President
Guest:
- Benyamin Poghosyan TW/@Benyamin_Poghos
Host:
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 126 | Recorded: Sunday, March 6, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220306.html
Ukraine | Dismissing Generals | 2nd Normalization Meeting | New President | Ep #126 - Mar 6, 2022 [EP126]
Posted on Monday, Mar 7, 2022 | Category: Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Turkey, China, Economy, Syria, Genocide, Iran, Azerbaijan, Geopolitics, Georgia, IndiaANN/Groong Week in Review - March 6, 2022
Topics:
- 00:00 Introduction
- 01:15 Ukraine War and Effects on Armenia
- 19:04 Armenia Shuffles Generals
- 25:15 Second Normalization Meeting
- 33:06 Armenian Parliament Elects New President
Guest:
- Benyamin Poghosyan TW/@Benyamin_Poghos
Host:
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 126 | Recorded: Sunday, March 6, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220306.html