ARMENIANS IN TURKEY ARE ANKARA’S HOSTAGES

Turkologist Artak Shaqaryan presents new developments in internal and foreign policy of Turkey.

– What impact might Ukrainian crisis have on policy developments of Turkey?

-There is an organized Tatar lobby in Turkey, besides there is a rather big nationalistic mass which in different parts of the world yells about the interests of the Turkic peoples. Keeping in mind the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Erdoghan would try to sway to his side this part of the electorate and on statement level protect the interests of Crimea Tatars.

In Ankara they understand very well that in the result of Crimea events Russia is becoming dominant in the Black Sea, moving back Turkey.

Turkey will try by any means to promote the construction of oil and gas pipelines bypassing Russia. It would arm Tatars and Chechens and become a platform of transfer of retreating Islamists from Syria to Russia and Ukraine.

It is worth mentioning that the same picture is in Turkish-Iranian relations. Iran will do everything so Turkey would not get influence in the South Caucasus. Tehran is well aware of who is standing in the back of arming Iranian Azeris and spreading nationalistic ideas.

– What new developments will be in Armenian-Turkish relations?

– The closer 2015, the more activated Turkish vector of propaganda. More projects of Armenian-Turkish civil society emerge – culturologists exchange, educational, youth programs – proving the Turkish thesis that despite the lack of communication between Yerevan and Ankara, there are no problems between Armenian and Turkish people, and they communicate. A false imagination of rapprochement and cooperation creates. Erdoghan’s letter shows that Ankara plans few steps and would try to forward in a different direction the expected discourse of 2015.

BAGRAT MOVSESYAN, Lieutenant