TURKEY CONTINUES TO VIOLATE INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS

After November 24, when the Russian Su-24 was shot down, the Russian-Turkish relations are deteriorating day by day, and in fact they have entered into the stage of an undeclared war. Ankara, in response to the Russian government’s introduced economic sanctions, unilaterally decided to break the special status of the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits, preventing the entrance and exit of Russian ships in the Black Sea. However, a larger confrontation can happen in Syria.

Among the sanctions Russia has suspended a number of projects in the energy sector, abolished military cooperation. In total, the Turkish economy suffered damage of about 20bln dollars a year (3% of GDP). From January 1, 2016 Russia cancels a special visa regime for Turkish citizens.

Russia has also taken decisive steps in Syria: anti-missile air defense systems S-400 are placed on the Turkish border, and in the Syrian ports there are Russian aircraft carrier ships. The Russian armed forces can control almost half of the territory of Turkey and the Syrian airspace is announced closed for flights for other countries.

For its part, Turkey on the border with Syria has placed air defense systems such as Koral. These systems the Turkish Armed Forces have adopted in 2015, and the first time they have been placed in Izmir for controlling airspace in the Aegean Sea. Radius of Koral is 100km. Moreover, Ankara has decided to implement the idea of creating a “buffer zone” in Syria and accumulates forces on the Turkish-Syrian border, preparing for a large-scale action.

From November 30 the Turkish ships artificially blocked the Straits, not allowing the passage of ships with the Russian flag. With this step Ankara actually violates the agreement on the Straits, signed at Montreux in 1936.

This international document regulates the control of Bosporus and Dardanelles straits by Turkey and guarantees the free movement of civilian vessels in peacetime. Turkey may restrict the movement of vessels only when there is a declared war. In fact, Turkey unilaterally violates the agreement on maintaining neutrality on the issue of the straits.

It is noteworthy that Russia can not give an adequate counterblow to aggressive and provocative actions of Ankara since her hands connects Turkey’s membership in NATO, the confrontation with which could lead to a big global catastrophe.

BAGRAT MOVSESYAN
Lieutenant