September 28, 2025
OC Media - Joseph Epstein Breaks Down Azerbaijan's Interests in the Middle East
‘Azerbaijan has been involved in the Middle East for some time’, Joseph Epstein, head of the Turan Research Centre, told OC Media.
From Epstein’s view, Azerbaijan’s interest in the Middle East has grown substantially since 2020, saying that ‘Baku has increased cooperation with the Gulf and has been particularly active in Syria’.
Speaking of Azerbaijan’s regional approach, Epstein argued that while ‘the motivations differ by country, there is a clear overall trend: Baku is positioning itself as a trusted regional mediator’.
‘The resolution of the [Nagorno-Karabakh] conflict has freed political and diplomatic bandwidth for Baku’, Epstein said.
‘Azerbaijan is now seeking to shift from a singular focus on territorial recovery to a broader foreign-policy agenda’.
Read the full article on OC Media.
Joseph Epstein is the Director of the Turan Research Center.