TURKEY TRIES TO PLAY MEDIATOR ROLE IN SOUTH CAUCASUS

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.05.2006 21:04 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey is trying to replace Russia in the South
Caucasus, Ruben Safrastyan the head of the Department of Turkey of the
Institute of Oriental Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of
Armenia, told journalists. “Turkey is trying to play a mediator role
in the South Caucasus, including in settlement of the Karabakh issue,”
he said when commenting on foreign political developments in Armenia
during the Caucasus 2005 international conference in Yerevan.

According to the expert, Turkey has already submitted a serious
application for enhancing its role in the region’s geopolitics, based
on its partnership relations with the NATO first of all, however it did
not get Washington’s approval at the moment. However, in the expert’s
opinion, in the future Turkey can play a more active role in the South
Caucasus, taking into account its involvement in Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
largest regional oil pipeline project, as well as the location of
the county. “Turkey is a “bridge” between Europe and Asia and this
cannot be disregarded,” Ruben Safrastyan said, reports Novosti Armenia.