Turkish-Azerbaijani Energy Relations

GTE Policy Brief (Istituto Affari Internazionali)  No. 15, April 2014, 6 p.

by Bülent Aras *

Turkish-Azerbaijani relations are currently taking shape based upon energy relations. This development is based on the two countries’ priorities in foreign policy and regional politics, underpinned by the mutual political will to maintain relations at this level. This paper analyzes the evolution of energy cooperation, Turkey’s attempt to become an energy hub in the region and Azerbaijan’s placement of energy politics as a central component in its foreign policy orientation. It concludes that Azerbaijan increased it leverage in regional energy politics and Turkey took a significant stride forward in terms of shifting from a transit country into an energy hub.

* Bülent Aras is Professor of International Relations at Sabanci University and Global Fellow at the Wilson Cente.

Document prepared for the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) in the context of the IAI-Istanbul Policy Center-Mercator Foundation project « Turkey, Europe and the World », April 2014.

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