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Erdogan Visit to Azerbaijan Could Stoke Russian Rivalry, Observers Say

Dorian Jones

   ISTANBUL - A two-day visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to
   Azerbaijan marks his latest bid to expand Turkey's influence in the
   Caucasus, and analysts are warning his ambitions could stoke a rivalry
   with Russia.

   Erdogan is scheduled to attend a victory parade Thursday in Baku,
   celebrating last month's defeat of Armenian forces in Azerbaijan's
   Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, which both countries claim.

   "This victory will only strengthen our belief in two nations, one
   people," Erdogan told reporters Wednesday before leaving for Baku.
   Ankara's military support of Baku is widely seen as key to Azerbaijan's
   victory.

   Erdogan, during his scheduled talks with Azerbaijan's President Ilham
   Aliyev, is expected to discuss Turkey's military role in the
   peacekeeping operation brokered by Moscow to end the Nagorno-Karabakh
   conflict.

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