Turkologist: The Middle East  escalating conflict  will increase  refuge influx into the South Caucasus

ArmInfo.The further escalation of the confrontation in the Middle East will lead to a large influx of refugees into the South Caucasus, as stated by Vladimir Avatkov, head of the Middle and Post-Soviet East Department at the Institute of Scientific Information on Social Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences, professor at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and turkologist, during a Moscow-Yerevan video conference on "Turkey and the Middle East Crisis."

The expert believes that they will primarily head towards Armenia,  where more favorable conditions for migration from Iran are  established. "This flow is unlikely to head toward Turkmenistan due  to the visa regime and the country's isolation. Some refugees may  head toward Azerbaijan, but this will only push Azerbaijan further  toward protecting its 'compatriots' and exacerbate the conflict,"  Avatkov believes. In this regard, the expert noted that the Armenian  side needs to consider potential risks now. Specifically, develop  action scenarios in case of such an emergency.