“Turkey is a country with great geopolitical ambitions going far beyond its territories. No doubt, Azerbaijan views Turkey as one of the most important allies and partners in the region. So we do not know about the possible format of a military base Azerbaijan is going to open in Nakhichevan. Air defense, missile or air forces may be stationed there,” Voice of Russia reports, referring to Igor Korotchenko, Editor-in-Chief of the National Defense magazine.

“In any case, we must realize the obvious disproportion between the military budgets of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has consistently been increasing its military budget over the years due to its not too high oil incomes. In this aspect, possible opening of a Turkish military base will cause Baku to cherish even greater geopolitical ambitions. It may ultimately galvanize Azerbaijan – which will feel Turkey’s support – into a military settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” the expert said.
Russia may view a NATO military base in Azerbaijan as a threat not only to Armenia, but also to Russia, as it will be followed by an active policy of drawing Azerbaijan into NATO.

“Moreover, the location of the Turkish base will create most favorable conditions for reconnaissance, including air reconnaissance, in the region. The information will be sent to the NATO database, which will affect Russia’s interests,” the expert said.