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Caucasus Conflict Gave Rise to Turk-Armenian Rapprochement

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  • Caucasus Conflict Gave Rise to Turk-Armenian Rapprochement

    'CAUCASUS CONFLICT GAVE RISE TO TURK-ARMENIAN RAPPROCHEMENT'

    The recent conflict in Georgia is one of the reasons the Turkish
    president decided to accept his Armenian counterpart's invitation to
    travel to Armenia, an Armenian expert said in a recent interview.
    `Turkey thought it could pursue its policies in the Caucasus via its
    alliance with Azerbaijan and Georgia, excluding Armenia. However the
    latest developments have shaken the balances, so Turkey is searching
    for new opportunities,' Prof. Ruben Safrastyan from the National
    Academy of Sciences of Armenia told the Turkish Daily News this
    week. `Relations with Armenia have a great importance in this
    respect,' he maintained. Defining Armenian President Serge
    Sarkisian's invitation to his Turkish counterpart, Abdullah
    Gül, to watch a football game between the two countries'
    national teams as an `important step,' Safrastyan said Armenia would
    never give up its claims of genocide in the Ottoman Empire. `Genocide
    is an issue proven both by Armenia and the world. The documents that
    would make redundant all discussions are in the archives. The only
    problem is Turkey's official history,' he said. Still Safrastyan
    maintained that the genocide problem should not hinder bilateral
    relations. Evaluating the conflict in the Caucasus, Safrastyan said:
    `Determining their own destinies, communities declared their
    independence in Georgia. Karabakh could also declare independence
    within one year.' `Azerbaijan has a great importance for Turkey, but a
    country like Turkey cannot disregard its interests for Azerbaijan,'
    Safrastyan said. Commenting on Russia's position in the region,
    Safrastyan said the country would use Azerbaijani oil to its
    benefit. `The West is not aware of Russia's power. It has the power to
    challenge the world. Intense developments await the Caucasus,' he
    said, claiming that a third world war would erupt in the East. `A
    small conflict in Georgia has reshaped the world's map,' he said.

    by VERCÄ°HAN ZÄ°FLÄ°OÄ?LU
    Turkish Daily News, September 5, 2008
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