RUBEN SAFRASTYAN: RUSSIA AND TURKEY ARE STRUGGLING FOR THE SOUTH CAUCASUS

armradio.am
30.10.2008 16:00

"Today Russia and Turkey are struggling for the South Caucasus,
and the Karabakh conflict is one of the most important fields of
this struggle," Director of the Oriental Studies Institute of the
National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Turkologist Ruben Safrastyan
told a press conference today. According to him, both countries have
undertaken the task of mediating in the Karabakh conflict resolution.

"Turkey will not succeed in doing that until it recognizes the Armenian
Genocide and refuses from its policy of oppressing Armenia," Ruben
Safrastyan said, adding that Turkey should establish normal relations
with Armenia by opening the border and paving the way for condemning
the Armenian Genocide.

Ruben Safrastyan considers that following the Russian-Georgian conflict
the geopolitical situation in the Caucasus has sharply changed in favor
of Russia. "Here Turkey is trying to resist Russia with diplomatic
activeness, e.g. with its proposal of establishing a Cooperation and
Security Platform.

In this situation the two countries are struggling for the South
Caucasus," Safrastyan said.