NEW PERSPECTIVES OPEN AFTER PUTIN’S VISIT TO TURKEY
Azg/arm
9 Dec 04
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Turkey ended. The sides
dove into aftermaths. Turkish mass media labeled the meeting a historic
one not as much for the document on “friendship and multilateral
cooperation between Turkey and Russia” as for sides’ strivings
to put the so-called new relations against the USA and the EU.
>>From this perspective the Westâ~@~Ys evaluation of the visit could
be easily predicted. The French Le Figaro wrote on the occasion:
“Times are changing, old enemies become economic partners”. What lies
beyond the U-turn? It must be noted before answering this question that
due to the signed document Russia gained the opportunity to invest
in the spheres of energetics and defense industry of Turkey. And
the Turks got wider perspectives for cooperation in the Caucasus,
Middle East and the Black Sea basin.
Moreover, Russia promised Turkey to import Turkish goods of $1
million in exchange for the exported gas and to defend Turkeyâ~@~Ys
viewpoint on “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” at the UN Security
Council. The two states are concerned the most with EU-USA rivalry for
the territories of Russiaâ~@~Ys dominion, Americaâ~@~Ys geopolitical
penetration into this regions, Turkish-American discords and Turkey-EU
relations.
It is obvious that in the situation when USA invades the territories of
Russia â~@~Ys dominion and when Russia has surrendered its positions
in Georgia, Ajaria, apparently in Abkhazia and in Ukraine and as a
consequence the Black Sea turns into an American Sea, Turkeyâ~@~Ys
cooperation with Russia in the South Caucasus, Middle East and the
Black Sea basin will not be functional for Turkey. It would be simply
viewed as Turkeyâ~@~Ys encroachment on American interests and would
force USA to act.
In other words, what interests Turkey and Russia is not the South
Caucasus, Middle East and the Black Sea basin but bilateral regional
cooperation. No matter if the Russian-Turkish plans go in line with
those of the US, they will still back up Turkeyâ~@~Ys positions against
Washingtonâ~@~Ys. As the EU rivals with the US in Russiaâ~@~Ys domain
and balances Russia against USA, the Turkish-Russian cooperation will
give Turkey a trump card against the EU.
Both Russia who is under the threat of being forced out from the
territories of its dominion and Turkey who is maneuvering between
USA and EU are in urgent need of solid ground under their feet.
Turkish press informed on December 7 of a new report on Turkeyâ~@~Ys
EU accession made by Holland, EU chairman country.
The project will be voted at the European Parliament on December 14
and will be discussed at the EU summit on December 17 to be put to
EUâ~@~Ys vote afterwards. This means that President Putinâ~@~Ys visit
and Russian-Turkish agreements came just in time.
By Hakob Chakrian
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