We, Armenians, should be developing better, broader, and deeper relations with the Kurds (especially of Turkey).
The Kurds should be reaching out to us in more ways than Genocide related matters.
Turkey claims to want “normalized” relations with the Republic of Armenia (RoA).
Turkey is cynically supporting the Kurds of Iraq while “negotiating” with the Kurds that are its citizens and simultaneously fighting the Kurds of Syria (through intermediaries— the Islamic extremists it is arming, backing, and providing a base of operations for).
Iran is confronted with the reality of a de facto Kurdish state on its borders and is likely concerned about the potential restiveness of its own Kurdish citizens.
The KRG (Kurdish Regional Government, of northern Iraq, that is, not the fledgling one in Syria) is now sitting on far more oil (and I’d bet methane [natural gas] too) than it knows what to do with, especially after taking control of Kirkuk when the Islamist extremists took over a portion of Iraq. A recent oil sale by the KRG made the news by being transshipped across Turkey, then wandering around the sea in a tanker until Israel bought it.
The RoA needs to diversify its energy sources while it transitions to renewables (solar, wind, geothermal, small hydropower, etc). Think about it. Fuel comes through Georgia from Russia to the north and directly from Iran to the south. The northerly source has been disrupted previously. The southerly source could be disrupted by well placed pup-Turk (Azeri) shelling.
Put all this together and what do you get? An oil and/or methane pipeline from the KRG to the RoA. Take a look at the accompanying table. It would be the shortest of the pipelines listed. The numbers show the distances between the beginning and ending points (cities) of exiting or historical pipelines (The Baku-Batum pipeline was first completed in 1906 and is no longer in use.) It also shows the length of the pipeline between those two points.
The “jiggle factor” is a measure of the zig-zaginess of the pipeline to avoid various obstacles (mountains, lakes, bad ground conditions, human settlements, etc.). Because a pipeline from Kirkuk to Yerevan would run north-south and therefore CROSS mountain ranges (the other pipelines tend to run East-West, parallel to the ranges, and are thus easier to route), I’ve guesstimated a higher jiggle factor than any of the other pipelines in the area have. This is to show how eminently doable such a project is. I have also included the distances between major cities that would be familiar to Diasporan readers to give a sense of the scale such a project would entail.
So everyone wins, the Kurds/Armenians as sellers/buyers, as would be either Iran or Turkey being a transit country that makes money and works as a good neighbor with KRG/RoA, gaining diplomatic/political advantage.
Of course, the idea of enabling more hydro-carbon (oil, gas, coal) burning is extremely odious. We have climate change issues that are threatening all of humanity. But, when a nation-state is sandwiched between two others that are inclined to annihilate it, its government must look at all options. Who knows, it might even motivate the environmental community to help solve the Armenian Question and bring Turkey and Azerbaijan into the world of civilized nation-states.
Tell me what you think. This idea is really “out there” and improbable, right? Heck, people want to make money, which drives all kinds of otherwise improbable activity.
**** I think the eventually this kind of wise approach is the best option for Armenia, I agree with your proposal.
” My enemy’s enemy can be my friend, that would be a good diplomacy”
Garen:I am glad you brought up the real issue,most importantly,the jerky turks are fighting with their intermediaries..In street language,it means “they got a YELLOW STREAK,UP THEIR BACKS,COWARDS,of the first order…They have always been that way,throughout history,Armenian Genocide,with the Kurds…They used the Kurds to kill the Armenians,then turned their backs against the Kurds…The Kurds know they were USED.The only scum,that refuses to believe, ARE THEIR PAID STOOGES. Look in the future,when the Kurds gain autonomy,size……..GOODBYE jerky turkey,or constantly kiss,the Kurds rear-end…
Well, you already have the PM of Turkey and the FM secretly collaborating with Kurdish seperatists, by having good ties with Barzani.
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Armenia and the KRG are not contiguous. How would the gas move from the KRG to Armenia? Iran and Turkey are hostile to the KRG; Turkey is hostile to Armenia. Even if Iran was not unfriendly to the KRG, it has its own gas. Why should it facilitate the export of a competitor? The KRG gas can be shipped to Armenia if Kurds of Western Armenia allow it/make a deal with Turkey/become independent.
Again Garen is confabulating. Why should Armenia antagonize Iran and Russia to get oil from the Kurds. And the pipeline you are mentioning passes through two hostile territories. The one through Iran is infested with Azeris and the other passes through Turkey.
Please stop with your adventurous geopoliticoeconomic fantasies. It’s people like you who started the February events in the first republic drawing the ire of the big bear. I have no doubt in my my that you are an operative of the CIA. Every article of yours is designed to create some kind of alienation from our traditional allies in the region.
I have said in the past and will say it again. If NATO, the United States, Turkey and Israel come to the centennial commemorations with their heads of state and if Turkey agrees to accept responsibility and if NATO agrees on the Wilsonian borders and if Turkey compensates for the human and physical losses and if the West agrees on the Karabagh Armenians self determination and the return of Nakhitchevan, only then and only then Armenia can join NATO and become an integral part of the West. I highly doubt those conditions will be met. Until then Armenia will be entrenched in the North/South alliance with The big bear and our Persian friends.
So please stop your adventurous articles and join the people whose sole purpose is to strengthen the present Armenian economy and army. Caprish?
CIA operative? How creative.
Half of the things you listed are completely unrealistic and will only deepen Armenia’s troublesome situation and hinder its development. You yourself even say that you doubt those conditions would be met because they are completely unrealistic. Iran and Russia have their own ambitions, so the “traditional ally” argument is completely invalid and extremely naive. You can’t expect to bog yourself down to one group of people and hope that they treat you with respect. When the Russians see we have no other options, that’s when they really start rubbing their boots on our faces.