Lragir, Armenia
Jan 14 2018
Erdogan Gave Away Azerbaijan: Putin's Stunning Statement
Hakob Badalyan, Political Commentator
Sunday, , 00:13
Turkey is not standing behind the drone attack at the Russian military base in Syria, the Russian president Putin said. He said they know who attacked, who were the sponsors, who produced the drones.
The attack on the Russian military base Khmeimim was on December 31, causing victims, as well as destruction of jets and helicopters. The Russian military announced that on January 5 and 5 they confronted an attack.
Earlier, at the end of the past year the Russian president visited the Russian military base in Syria and the withdrawal of personnel from Syria started. Afterwards Putin left for Turkey. And before the withdrawal of troops there was the Trump-Putin statement on their commitment to stability in Syria.
After this statement the Turkish president left for a meeting with the Russian president, and a few days later the presidents of Iran and Turkey met with Putin in Sochi. A few months earlier Iran, Turkey and Russia started the three-party Astana process to stabilize Syria involving Assad’s government and armed opposition. An agreement was reached in the Astana process to create demilitarized zones.
Did the joint Trump-Putin statement and agreement contradict the agreements of the Astana process? It is hard to tell. However, afterwards the presidents of Turkey and Iran left for a meeting with Putin, either to demand or to learn more.
Afterwards Putin announced about victory in Syria and withdrawal of troops, left for Syria to start the withdrawal and immediately left for Turkey.
At the same time, the strike on the Russian military base on December 31 overran with the unrest in Iran that started on December 28 for which the Iranian government blamed the United States and Israel. The United States and Israel supported the demonstrators in high-level statements.
Along with the developments in Iran the Russian military base was hit in Syria. In addition, the Russian ministry of defense confirmed the strike much later than it had appeared in the Russian press. The news was published by the Kommersant.
The Russian military base was stricken from the demilitarized zone agreed with Iran and Turkey by the Astana process.
In addition, on January 1 the spokesperson for the Russian president Peskov announced that the Russian president and the Israeli prime minister agreed to meet and discuss important issues soon. Peskov did not tell other details. Was this agreement of the Russian and Israeli leaders determined by the developments in Iran or the strike to the Russian military base in Syria? Or maybe both?
Who needed or who might need to strike Russia in this situation? Information came that the Russian military base was stricken from the area controlled by Turkey. On the eve there was a telephone conversation between the presidents of Russia and Turkey and today Putin announces that Turkey did not strike. He says they know who did but they do not say who. In addition, Ankara made another gesture to Moscow, arresting the person who organized the murder of the Russian ambassador. When the Russian plane was stricken at the border of Syria and Turkey, Putin announced, at the start of the Russian-Turkish reconciliation following the breakup that it was not Ankara but a hand that wished to harm the Russian-Turkish relations and friendship.
Moscow said almost the same thing when the Russian ambassador was killed in Ankara. It was not Turkey. Did Erdogan bring forceful arguments to Putin or has the Russian president appeared in Erdogan’s trap? Or maybe Putin catches Erdogan in a trap by way of accepting all the strikes directed at Russia, demanding some expensive concessions in return for silence.
The situation is strange. At the same time, it is interesting that Putin says to know the “producers” of drones. The point is that a limited number of countries produce combat drones: the United States, Israel, China, Canada.
Of course, the list of buyers of combat drones is longer. Among them is Azerbaijan which has bought drones from Israel. By the way, it is known that Azerbaijan supplies ammunition to the Syrian militants, including ISIS. The scandalous investigation was published in the Bulgarian press.
Of course, Putin would hardly hint to Azerbaijan but after the conversation with Erdogan the Russian president makes an interesting statement without a visible target. It will be interesting if it turns out that Erdogan has given away Azerbaijan. By the way, the Putin-Netanyahu meeting announced on January 1 has not taken place yet.