Looking Back on the Fall of the Eastern Iron Curtain: How Turkey Rediscovers her South Caucasus Neighborhood

The break-up of the Soviet Union had far-reaching consequences for Turkey’s immediate neighbourhood. Turkey discovered a new world in her vicinity that had remained separated by what might be called the ‘Oriental’ Iron Curtain. In the early 1990s, the days of Turkey sharing a land border with the USSR ended and it discovered three new neighbours. The end of the bipolar order allowed Turkey to redefine her crossborder relations and regain access to the former southern underbelly of the USSR. The post-Cold War context radically changed political data in the region and modified the scheme of Turkey’s border exchanges. The closure of the border with Armenia and the opening of border crossings with Georgia and Nakhitchevan were the most significant events. Despite the lack of diplomatic links, Turkey was also a major supplier for the Armenian economy. Relations with Turkey were also highly valued in political and economic circles in Georgia and there were grounds for arguing that the country owed its independence to Turkey. The development of regional integration strategies that strengthen links between Anatolia and the South Caucasus would be a major step toward boosting intra-regional trade and access to world markets. The development of transport routes across the Transcaucasus to Turkey would support the integration of production and distribution networks, and lead to the implementation of projects that accelerated regional integration. The development of regional integration strategies that strengthen links between Anatolia and the South Caucasus would be a major step toward boosting intra-regional trade and access to world markets. The development of transport routes across the Transcaucasus to Turkey would support the integration of production and distribution networks, and lead to the implementation of projects that accelerate regional integration.

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