Date:
Location:
The Center for Middle Eastern Studies presents a panel discussion with
Anna Ohanyan
Richard B. Finnegan Distinguished Professor of International Relations, Stonehill College
Cengiz Aktar
Adjunct professor of political science, University of Athens
Vicken Cheterian
Lecturer in history and international relations, University of Geneva
Register in advance: https://bit.ly/3F6ZzM6
The closed border between Turkey and Armenia is one of the few remaining physical vestiges of the Cold War. Despite closed borders, diplomatic freeze of relations, and unrelenting legacies of the century-old Armenian genocide, economic ties and significant civil society contact between the two countries had been ongoing for the past several decades. The most recent chapter in (non)-relations between these two countries is the Second War in Nagorno-Karabakh which erupted last Fall. Turkey decisively backed Azerbaijan militarily and politically, and by the accounts of numerous military analysts, helped to tilt the war in Azerbaijan’s favor. Despite such challenging legacies, the resultant geopolitical reshuffling on the ground has also revitalized prospects for regional unblocking of both borders and relations between Armenia and Turkey. The proponents have argued that enhanced connectivity in the South Caucasus is beneficial for all. The critics worried that this only heightens Armenia’s insecurity, and is a way to force Armenia into further painful concessions. The panel will focus on the granular and great power politics in the region, to identify factors and forces of such developments.
Contact: Liz Flanagan