TURKEY SHOWS STRONG PRESSURE UPON AZERBAIJAN MAKING IT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE "CAUCASUS PLATFORM", ARMENIAN POLITICAL EXPERT THINKS

ArmInfo
2008-09-10 13:15:00

ArmInfo. Turkey shows strong pressure upon Azerbaijan making it to
participate in the "Caucasus platform", director of Oriental studies
Institute under National Academy of Science Ruben Safrastyan told
journalists today.

‘The fact that Azerbaijan agreed to participate in the Caucasus
platform along with Armenia is evidence of it though earlier official
Baku refused it’, – he said.

At the same time Safrastyan said except Armenia and Azerbaijan there
other states which have serious disagreements within the supposed
union – Russia and Georgia. ‘Despite all the efforts of the diplomatic
Ankara Tbilisi has not yet agreed to participate in this programme
motivating it with aggression of Russia towards itself’, – he said.

‘Turkey is seriously interested in creation of the "Caucasus platform"
as, first, this country wants to withdraw Iran from the region as a
serious geo-political player. At the same time, in such a way Turkey
wants to tell the world it is a serious and independent superpower
in the political sense’, – Safrastyan concluded.