Expert: No red lines in Russia’s relations with Turkey regarding concessions on Armenia

NEWS.am
Armenia – Aug 9 2022

There are no red lines in Russia's relations with Turkey with regard to concessions on Armenia. Andranik Ispiryan, a Turkologist, told NEWS.am. According to him, Russia will make as many concessions as the situation allows.

"However, Russia is not yet in a situation to make such serious concessions, but we see that everything is developing very quickly, and there are no guarantees in connection with what may happen with Russia. But there is no such danger in the near future," he said. According to Ispiryan's assessment, the worse Russia is doing in Ukraine, the less important the South Caucasus, including Armenia, becomes for Russia.

This creates threats in the region to Armenia's detriment. "History shows that decisions in the region have often been made at the expense of our interests. This threat still exists today. As the problems in Ukraine deepen, the most serious threat is posed by Russia's presence in the South Caucasus. Turkey, realizing the complexity of the situation, wants Russia to make concessions in the region to the detriment of Armenia and in favor of Turkey and Azerbaijan in an attempt to maintain its position in other directions," he added.

The meeting in Sochi for both Turkey and Russia the expert called a success. "Military action in Ukraine was a salvation for Ankara, because before that there were threats to the preservation of Erdogan's power at the end of the elections in 2023. The sanctions against Russia became a new direction for the Turkish authorities to increase their authority both inside the country and in foreign policy. At the end of the Sochi meeting, there was talk about energy cooperation, Syria, the food problem as a result of military actions in Ukraine. All this gave Turkey serious financial, energy opportunities, it became a hub for Europe against the backdrop of the energy crisis. For Russia, more markets have opened up in Turkey.

This means that Russia manages to break through Western sanctions through Turkey. This has been a source of concern around the world. Since the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine, relations between Russia and Turkey have been warming even more. But this relationship is not based on trust, but on mutual interests. Both countries are trying to spread their influence in the region, aiming for the maximum, but in the current situation they have to go for cooperation," noted Ispiryan.