ENTENTE REVIVES

The terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13 opened a new chapter in international relations. After 111 years preconditions have created for the revival of such a powerful military-political union, what was the Entente. At the same time the situation in the Middle East could lead to a major review of the results of the First World War.

The wave of terrorist attacks of the organization “Islamic caliphate” made France to become more active in Syria and to join Russia, which already a month carries out anti-terrorist actions. Moreover, the French ruling elite does not exclude that a new military-political alliance may be created. Although there is no talk of France’s withdrawal from NATO.

Against the backdrop of a new Russian-French rapprochement Turkey is again activated, which is recently increasingly accused of being the co-organizer of Parisian events. Erdoghan and his administration are trying to save the face of Turkey, making a proposal to establish an Islamic “anti-Islamic” coalition, in fact, opposed to the newly created Russian-French alliance. With this Ankara tries to give a religious tinge to situation in Syria, opposing “Christian” union to “Islamic” one. However, and in this Ankara was defeated – after President Putin’s visit to Tehran, Iran also will join the Russian-French alliance.

In Paris, they began to talk more about the feasibility of the Sykes-Picot Agreement 1916. About a century ago, a secret Russian-French-British agreement on the division of the Ottoman Empire in fact did not materialize. Russia has not received the promised Western Armenia, France – Northern Iraq and Cilicia. Only UK alone was lucky – she got to Jordan and Iraq. As a result, neither Armenian issue, nor Kurdish were resolved. Sykes-Picot agreement did not provide that in the region new players such as Israel and Saudi Arabia, will emerge.

Today, Paris and Moscow act as allies who confront the challenges of the new geopolitical situation. Undoubtedly, the creators and sponsors of “Islamic caliphate” are forced into hiding to refrain from clashes with Russian-French alliance, although hostilities will last at least until 2016, when new parliamentary elections will be held in Syria. And then it will be clear who will present the new government, and who – the real opposition.

And to which extent the Sykes-Picot agreement’s articles will be revived, will depend not only on the position of Ankara during this period, but also Tel Aviv and Riyadh. If Turkey faces the danger of losing the Armenian highlands and the creation of a Kurdistan state, Israel can be a witness to the proclamation of an independent Palestine with international mandate. And Saudi Arabia threatens to split and be distributed among the neighbors.

However, we will hear more about the new Russian-French alliance.

BAGRAT MOVSESYAN
Lieutenant