Turkey's role in Azerbaijan-Iran relations in the context of neorealism

Despite the historical, cultural, and religious similarities between Azerbaijan and Iran, and the established common bonds, it is observed that the relations between the two states progress on a ground where conflicts intensify. With the end of the Cold War, the factors and motivations of Azerbaijan, which emerged and gained its independence in the reorganized international system, in its relations with Iran, which had to produce new policies in the face of this new system, have been the subject of the study. In the Azerbaijan-Iran relations, which have experienced many disputes, Turkey's cultural-ethnic ties and strategic partnerships with Azerbaijan, aiming to be an important actor in the new equation established for the Central Asia and Caucasus region after the Cold War and to determine its international position in the new system, have an impact on Azerbaijan-Iran relations. In this context, the study considers the fundamental motivations behind the numerous disputes in Azerbaijan-Iran relations and Turkey's role in the region within the new system that emerged after the end of bipolarity. It is believed that the arguments of neorealism are explanatory for the analysis. Neorealism uses the level of analysis to understand the reasons behind the behavior of states in the international system. The study examines the impact of the system on the foreign policies of states and the parameters it generates, along with Azerbaijan-Iran relations and Turkey's role.