RUBEN SAFRASTYAN: TURKEY’S POLICY OF SEPARATISM COUNTERS THE INTERESTS OF THE US, EU AND RUSSIA
armradio.am
09.07.2007 17:06
Turkey is implementing a policy of separatism in the South Caucasus. In
particular, attempts are made to create a new Turkey-Georgia-Azerbaijan
axis, said Ruben Safrastyan, Director of the Oriental Studies
Institute of RA National Academy of Sciences. He underlined that
the above-mentioned axis already has a corresponding infrastructure,
consisting of the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline, Baku-Erzrum gas pipeline
and the rail project that will link the three countries, bypassing
Armenia.
According to Ruben Safrastyan, Turkey intends to form the axis first as
an economic and then as a new political union, which shall result in
a military-strategic alliance between the three countries. According
to Ruben Safrastyan, such policy of Turkey is turning realistic first
of all due to crude mistakes of Russian diplomacy, including the rise
of gas fees, because of which Georgia turned to Azerbaijan.
The political scientist noted that the main objective of the new
axis is to deepen the isolation of Armenia. According to him, this
process brings forward serious concern, and Armenia should objectively
assess the present situation. I don’t think we must become part
of this axis, it is not serious, but I think we must make use of
the existing opportunities," he said. In particular, according to
Ruben Safrastyan, we must use the factor that the creation of the
above-mentioned axis is not in Russia’s interests, and the latter will
try to create obstacles for Turkey’s policy. Besides, such policy of
Turkey counters the objectives of the European Union and the US in
our region: both the EU and the US wish to see the South Caucasus as
a united integrated region, the reflection of which is the European
New Neighborhood Policy.
"One should not forget that Turkey is not the state that could
oppose to the powerful; geopolitical centers: the US, EU and
Russia. Therefore, we must try to find the way that will enable to
use the situation, that is the policy of balance, which Armenia has
not used so far and which should lay in the core of diplomacy and
politics," Ruben Safrastyan declared.