Abstract:

This article compares and contrasts the Astana Process, which Türkiye, Russia, and Iran devised for Syria, with the Six-Way Platform Initiative, which Türkiye has offered as a solution mechanism to promote peaceful conditions and foster cooperation in the South Caucasus. In this vein, the process tracing method is applied to assess the Six-Way Platform initiative's chances of success. Over the past twenty years, peace proposals for the South Caucasus have been placed on the agenda under various titles but solutions have never been realized. This article makes a case that the regional-global context and the inclusion of relevant actors has a direct impact on the likelihood of success. Given that Türkiye, İran and Russia have demonstrated their ability to cooperate in the Astana process designed for Syria, there is a greater chance that the Six-Way Platform will be feasible in this case. On the contrary, this fact also increases the likelihood that the Six-Way Platform collaboration endeavor could fail. The opposing interests that Türkiye, Russia, and Iran attempt to advance in Syria have at times stalled the Astana Process, which is still ongoing. This dynamic could have negative repercussions for the Six-Way Platform, as this article argues that, what transpires in Syria will have a significant impact on the South Caucasus' politics, which are already on very fragile ground.

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