Turkey increasingly views itself as a regional hegemonial power that enforces its interests with robust—military—means. Felix Schmidt, who represents the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Turkey, said this in an interview with IPS Journal.

“While its [Turkey’s] various interventions [in Syria, Libya, the Mediterranean, and now in the Caucasus] have had different motivations, including defending Turkey’s economic—oil and gas—and security interests, the rise in Turkish nationalism also plays a role. [Turkish] President [Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan is not free to make decisions by himself. He has to take into consideration his far-right-wing coalition partner, the MHP (‘Nationalist Movement Party’), whose chairman, Devlet Bahçeli, is constantly pushing Erdoğan to act more aggressively. Many Turks consider that it’s Bahçeli who runs foreign policy.

Another reason for President Erdoğan to get involved in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is Turkey’s deepening economic crisis. Erdoğan is hoping that yet another foreign adventure will unite the country behind him and distract Turks from the growing impoverishment of their compatriots. Erdoğan is getting what he wants: The conflict in the Caucasus has created an upsurge in nationalism in Turks, who broadly support Azerbaijan,” Schmidt said.