RUBEN SAFRASTYAN: TURKEY TRIES TO CREATE A STRATEGIC-POLITICAL AXIS IN THE REGION

armradio.am
27.07.2007 16:44

The current Turkish Government will continue the foreign policy of
the previous government, Director of the Oriental Studies Institute
of the National Academy of Sciences Ruben Safrastyan said during
a press conference in Yerevan dedicated to the consequences of the
recent presidential elections in Turkey and their possible impact on
Armenian-Turkish relations.

According to him, in the course of the recent months Turkey has been
implementing a policy, which is directed at the separation of the
South Caucasus and creation of a new Turkey-Azerbaijan-Georgia axis
in the region.

The initial objective of Turkey is to create an economic alliance
of the three countries and then develop the economic alliance into
a political one.

According to Ruben Safrastyan, neither Russia traditionally having
a great influence in the region, nor the US or EU, which consider
the South Caucasus to be a united region do not back Turkey’s
initiative. "I think Turkey will face a number of obstacles on the
way of implementing this policy," MR. Safrastyan declared.

Will the ruling "Justice and Development" party undertake normalization
of relations with Armenia? Ruben Safrastyan expressed the opinion
that only minor steps are expected.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress