Armenia turning to Turkey wouldn’t be a natural progression, but a move made under pressure it seems. The protests in Gyumri show how deep the frustration with Russia has become, especially after Moscow failed to provide military support when Armenia was blitzed, despite CSTO commitments.A protest is being held near a Russian military base in the Armenian city of Gyumri.
The protest was organized by the "For the Republic" party.
The participants of the protest are demanding the withdrawal of the Russian military base from the territory of Armenia.
After Russia's betrayal, Armenians have placed their bets on Iran. But since Iran couldn't even defend itself...
It looks like in a year or two, Armenians will ask Ankara to establish a Turkish military base in Armenia. Right there. In Gyumri. Armenia, which has found itself in an extremely dire situation after a heavy defeat in Karabakh, may make an incredible somersault in its foreign policy. They have no other choice.
But polls consistently show that trust in government and foreign powers are extremely low while institutions like the armed forces and the Church remain the most trusted as I was saying. That tells me that any sudden pivot, be it toward Turkey or anyone else will not enjoy broad public support. Giving the most charity, it would be an uneasy gradual shift driven by necessity rather then real confidence and it could spark resistance on the ground.
That all said, the South Caucasus has a way of defying predictions, so I’m open to being proven wrong if events take a sharper turn then expected.