“Turkey will try to influence the NK issue through Russia” (video)
Russia will gradually remove the trade and economic sanctions used against Turkey. Vladimir Putin has already instructed the Government to take steps in that direction. This instruction was preceded by the message of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Vladimir Putin, by which Turkey’s President apologized to the family of the pilot of the Russian helicopter shot down in November. Political expert Stepan Grigoryan notes, “Russia is in serious blockade, it is obvious that it isn’t beneficial for Russia to continue Turkey’s blockade, Russia wants to get out of that isolation.” Turkologist Ruben Safrastyan adds, “Turkey faces difficult geopolitical situation, it is isolation, and the current authorities of Turkey are trying to refrain from that situation.” “The Russian-Turkish relations, we can say, again return to a phase, when two countries don’t fire at each other, there is no acute conflict, but in strategic regard the conflict is maintained,” says Turkologist. What will be the influence of another change in the Russian-Turkish relations on Armenia? Stepan Grigoryan notes. “I don’t think that Russia’s improvement in the economic sphere with Turkey is against our interest, in the end, this tense situation isn’t beneficial for us. Whether it will be followed by political rapprochement in political issues, not only in the issue of Karabakh, but also in Syrian issue, here we must follow.” According to the political expert, after the improvement of the relations, Turkey will try to have influence on the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict through Russia. We can draw this conclusion taking into account the lessons of history. “The rapprochement in the 20s’ resulted in the territorial losses by the Armenian side; the same risk exists at present. Everything can happen in the Russian-Turkish relations, for a very short period they can have mutual interests and there is always a risk,” says the political expert. Stepan Grigoryan states that we shouldn’t worry about another rapprochement between Russia and Turkey, but about not seeing the dangers of that rapprochement and not taking steps by the Armenian authorities.
