Military Assistance and Alliance Deepening in the Nagorno-Karabakh Wars: The Türkiye-Azerbaijan Case

This study examines the evolution of Türkiye–Azerbaijan relations within the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh wars, emphasizing the role of military aid in alliance formation. While prior literature often isolates military or economic aspects, this article adopts a comprehensive approach, tracing the transformation of bilateral ties across three distinct phases: diplomacy, interwar military assistance, and institutionalized cooperation following the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. Using process-tracing methodology, the research identifies causal mechanisms linking Türkiye’s military aid to Azerbaijan’s capacity-building and eventual battlefield success. Findings suggest that Türkiye’s provision of training, financial assistance, and advanced weaponry substantially strengthened Azerbaijan’s armed forces, enabling their decisive victory in 2020. At the same time, this deepened alliance illustrates the dual nature of military aid—facilitating security partnerships while creating potential risks of over-dependence. The study contributes to the broader literature on military assistance and alliance politics by highlighting how shared identity and geopolitical calculations interact with material support to shape long-term strategic partnerships. It further argues that Turkish involvement not only enhanced Azerbaijan’s defense capabilities but also altered regional balances by constraining Armenia and mitigating Russian influence in the South Caucasus.