Most likely the loud statements of the Turkish side, assuring that the “future of Nakhichevan has always interested and will interest Turkey in the first place” are just a cliché, especially since they are made by the foreign minister of Turkey. “The treaty of Kars that ensures the safety of Nakhichevan remains in force. It is undeniable. This agreement is an integral part of international law. Turkey is the guarantor of the security of Nakhichevan. It is the commitment of Turkey under international law. Safety of Nakhichevan is our security, her welfare is our wellfare,” Davutoglu said, adding that Nakhichevan and Turkey are inseparable.

Under the Treaty of Amity between the Armenian SSR, Azerbaijani SSR and Georgian SSR, on the one hand, and Turkey on the other, signed with participation of the RSFSR in Kars on October 13, 1921, the Region of Nakhichevan constitutes an autonomous territory under the aegis of Azerbaijan, without the right to be passed to a third country. By a third country was and is implied Armenia. However, it is worth mentioning that Iran too has got an eye on this region. In 2005, Presidents of Iran and Azerbaijan, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Ilham Aliyev, officially opened a gas pipeline stretching from Iran to the Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan. The first deliveries were initiated on November 1, 2005. According to the agreement designed for 25 years, Iran supplies to the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic 85% of the gas coming into this country from Azerbaijan. The remaining 15% is the payment of Baku for Tehran’s services. No solid cash payments are provided for in the contract.

Thus, everyone sells what they have: Turkey sells a guarantee of security, Iran sells gas. Azerbaijan has so far taken advantage of both, but how long will this continue? It is natural that Turkey, in this case, has more chances than Iran; she is closer to the political elite of Baku, who do not favour the ayatollah regime. However, it is with Nakhichevan that the struggle for regional supremacy between the two countries will start. And the one that will be able to eat up Azerbaijan first, can say that the first step is taken. However, this does not mean that the opposite side will quickly surrender. Regional processes are gaining momentum and no little role in them is played by Armenia, or rather, by the Karabakh conflict. If Baku should ever start a war, neither Turkey nor Iran will come to the rescue for different reasons: Turkey would not support an aggressor, while Iran simply would not interfere. The truth is that in case Aliyev starts a war, he can stand no longer than a month. But the problem of Nakhichevan can be solved within that month, as the Treaty of Kars defines Turkey as security guarantor of the area. Be that as it may, in the next few years we will witness great changes in the region. It’s not for nothing that the subject of Nakhichevan has activated in the Turkish media especially now.