December 20, 2021, 07:37 PM
Alterman says 'The problem is… Recep Tayyip Erdogan is often, to say the least, not so consistent'
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced that Ankara is taking steps towards establishing diplomatic relations with Armenia, but analysts are dubious on the prospects of the initiative.
i24NEWS Senior International Affairs Correspondent Owen Alterman sat down with anchor Benita Levin to discuss the implications this could have on the region, as well as the possibilities of normalization actually happening.
“Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been known to say one thing one day and something very different the next day,” Alterman told i24NEWS.
“Obviously if this goes forward and it stands the test of time, and it proves to be sustainable, and he proves to be consistent, obviously it’s a very big deal for Turkey and Armenia to normalize relations.”
“The problem is, and who better to know this than those of us sitting here in Israel, is that Recep Tayyip Erdogan is often, to say the least, not so consistent,” Alterman explained.
“He may go forward with this normalization today, and may change his mind tomorrow, and it really raises the question of just how consistent he’s going to be.”
If the normalization actually does commence, analysts believe that the establishment of diplomatic ties could prove beneficial to Armenia.
“Armenia is almost entirely reliant at this point on Russia, and on Vladimir Putin, for their country’s defense and their country’s diplomatic standing. They’re not all that happy with this situation,” Alterman said.