"TURKISH SPLIT POLICY IN SOUTH CAUCASUS CONTRADICTS INTERESTS OF UNITED STATES, RUSSIA, AND EUROPEAN UNION," RUBEN SAFRASTIAN MENTIONS

Noyan Tapan
Jul 09 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 9, NOYAN TAPAN. Ruben Safrastian, the Head of the
Institute of Oriental Studies of the National Academy of Sciences
of the Republic of Armenia, made a statement saying that Turkey
is implementing a split policy in the South Caucasus and trying
to create a new Turkish-Georgian-Azeri axis. He mentioned in his
interview with a Noyan Tapan correspondent that the axis to be built
already has an infrastructure: that is the Baku-Jeyhan oil pipeline,
the Baku-Erzrum gas pipeline, and the envisaged railway, which will
connect those three countries, leaving Armenia out.

According to Ruben Safrastian, Turkey aims to form that new axis firsly
as an economic one, then as a new political union, which should give
rise to the creation of a military technical alliance between these
three countries.

In addition to this, according to Ruben Safrastian, this Turkish policy
is beginning to grow realistic firstly due to the gross mistakes in
Russian diplomacy, as well as on account of the increase in gas prices,
as a result of which Georgia turned to Azerbaijan. The latter provided
a great assistance to Georgia "on the request of Turkey, certainly,"
after which Turkey took advantage of this circumstance when Georgia
found itself in a situation where it depended on Azerbaijan.

The political scientist mentioned that one of the main goals of
the creation of this axis is to continue to deepen and finish the
isolation of Armenia.

According to him, these processes give rise to serious anxiety
and Armenia should estimate the current fact in a right way. "
I do not think that we should try to become a part of this axis,
that is not serious, however, I believe that we should make use of
the opportunities we have," he said.

According to the political scientist, we should make use of that
circumstance, in particular, that the creation of the above-mentioned
axis does not follow the interests of Russia and the latter will try
to hinder Turkey’s policy in the South Caucasus. In addition to this,
this policy of Turkey countervails the goals of the European Union
and the United States in our region as well: both the European Union
and the United States want to see the South Caucasus as a united
and integrated region, which is reflected in the "New Neighbourhood"
program of the European Union.

"One should not forget that Turkey is not a country which is able to
countervail the world’s political powerful centers, that is to say,
the United States, the European Union, and Russia. Thus, we should
be able to find that very way, which will give us an opportunity
to make use of this situation, that is the very policy of balance,
which has not been used by Armenia so far and which should be the
basis of diplomacy and politics," Ruben Safrastian declared.