"TARGET IS TENSION ON ANKARA-BAKU AXIS"

AZG DAILY
21-10-2009

Opinion

Director of the Turkish Research Program at The Washington Institute
for Near East Policy, Soner Cagaptay stated that Moscow administration
targets creating tension by paying support to the process of
rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia.

"Russia wants to alienate Georgia and pretends that it supports
process of normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia,"
said the expert.

"Although Turkey-Armenia rapprochement seems like it conflicts
with the interests of Russia, the interest of Russia lays under
tension in the relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan. Russia wants
Turkish-Azerbaijani ties to weaken for Azerbaijan to get closer to
the policies of Russia," Cagaptay said.

Director of the Turkish Research Program at The Washington Institute
for Near East Policy, Soner Cagaptay said that the reason that Russia
supports normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia is the
possibility that Armenia normalization may damage Turkish-Azerbaijani
ties. Cagaptay said, "If Armenia finds a new way through Europe over
Turkey and if Turkey establishes an alternative energy corridor other
than the one that passes over Georgia, those would be conflicting with
the interests of Russia. But then why Russia supports Turkey-Armenia
normalization? Russia’s Caucasus policies are established on preventing
construction of petroleum and natural gas pipelines that will transfer
natural sources of Khazar region to World markets. In this aspect,
an independent Georgia conflicts with the interests of Russia. Russia
targets to terminate independence of Georgia. On the other hand,
they pretend that they are supporting the process of normalization
of relations between Turkey and Armenia. Although Turkey-Armenia
rapprochement seems like it conflicts with the interests of Russia,
the interest of Russia lays under tension in the relations between
Turkey and Azerbaijan. Russia wants Turkish-Azerbaijani ties to weaken
for Azerbaijan to get closer to the policies of Russia.

Armenia will not leave the circle that Russia draws for the
country even if the ties with Turkey are normalized. And therefore,
normalization of Armenia relations will increase the influence of
Russia on Azerbaijan. Meantime Georgia will be totally isolated".

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress