Hasan's Blog / Hasan'ın Günlüğü

Twenty years ago, the Soviet Union was divided into fifteen republics. The resulting picture necessitated Turkey returning to a geography in which it was alienated as a result of the controlling policies of the Soviets. In the reconstruction process of five Turkic states, four in Central Asia, and Azerbaijan in the Caucasus, Turkey did not hesitate to take the initiative. If we look back, we can say that Turkey could not realize its dreams beyond the Caspian Sea due to regional geopolitics and geographical reasons, but succeeded in establishing a complex ties with Azerbaijan. Located west of the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan has experienced various problems in integrating into the international system after seventy years of Soviet administration. The first of them was the outbreak of war in Karabakh in 1988, which emerged as the biggest obstacle to experiencing a normal transition period for the country. Until the ceasefire agreement was signed in 1994, the country had serious troubles ...

The first treaty regarding the natural gas trade between Turkey and the USSR was signed in 1984, proposing that Turkey would buy natural gas from the Soviet Union for a 25-year term from the beginning of 1987. In return, the USSR would buy cotton, meat, corn, and vegetable oil, as well as steel and non-steel products and industrial materials. According to this treaty, natural gas sales would start at a volume of 1.5 billion m3 in 1987 and rise up to 6 billion m3 per year from 1993 until 2011. The content of the treaty, which seems quite advantageous for the Turkish side, can also be counted as a breakthrough for Turkey. While the agreement provided the opportunity to become acquainted with the Russian market before the Berlin Wall came down, Turkey also got the chance to enter the Russian market. Moreover, this bilateral agreement opened the doors to develop good relations and making business deals with the states which gained their independence after demise of the Soviet Union. ...