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THERE IS NO MORE STRATEGIC ALLIANCE BETWEEN ANKARA AND TEL-AVIV
www.regnum.ru
"Noravank" Foundation
19 January 2009
G.Harutyunayan's interview with IA REGNUM
Turkey and Israel are not strategic partners any more. This kind
of partnership supposes the coincidence of strategic interests and
there is no such thing at present. This was said by the Director of
"Noravank" Foundation Gagik Harutyunyan in an interview with IA REGNUM,
when he commented on the recent developments in relations between
Ankara and Tel-Aviv, i.e. the demand of Turkish prime-minister Recep
Erdogan to bar Israel from the UN.
"The strategic alliance also supposes the similarity of strategic
interests, but today there are vast sectors of national interests of
Turkey and Israel which do not identify. Though, this probably will
not be reflected in the collaboration in the sphere of defense between
special services of two countries, but it's needless to say that
there is no more old level of partnership". - mentioned Harutyunyan.
The expert reminded that the frost in the relations between Turkey
and Israel begun several years ago, when some problems in the issues
of defense collaboration aroused and Turkish General Staff complained
of "double standards" applied by Tel-Aviv. Harutyunyan explained that
Turkish-Israeli contradictions are provoked both by regional and global
factors, and first and foremost, by the war in Ira q and slackening
of the US presence in the region. "The strengthening of Kurdish factor
in Iraq was negative phenomenon for Turkey, while at the same time it
served Israel's purpose, because they used that factor against Arabs
of Iraq, both Sunnis and Shiahs. That issue caused serious conflict of
interests between Ankara and Tel-Aviv", - said the political scientist.
He also mentioned that alongside with the slackening of influence of
Washington in the region and the consolidation of "polypolar" world
every state in that region should act in its own interest. "Raising
the question of barring Israel from the UN, Erdogan tries to become a
leader of Islamic world, especially if we remember that the spiritual
leader of Iran banned the citizens of his country to take part in
war in Gaza", - told the analyst.
He also mentioned that there are serious domestic policy problems
in Turkey, such as the problems with national minorities, army, the
confrontation of kemalists and islamists. The desire of Turkey to shift
domestic policy problems to foreign-policy field sometimes brings to
"extravagant" actions such as the recent statements of Erdogan and
the dialogue with Armenia", - says the expert.
Harutyunyan underlined that this situation is not likely to give a
rise to the recognition of the Armenian Genocide in Knesset. "In its
approach to the Armenian Genoc ide Israel takes into account not only
the position of Turkey but also its own interest of being the only
nation which falls under the definition of "victim of genocide". But
on the other hand, in Harutyunyan's opinion the current situation in
relations between Ankara and Tel-Aviv may become a positive signal
to the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Washington. "From
this point of view Armenia should not only head for improvement
of relations with Turkey but at the same time look for new ally in
Israel", - concluded the analyst.
www.regnum.ru
"Noravank" Foundation
19 January 2009
G.Harutyunayan's interview with IA REGNUM
Turkey and Israel are not strategic partners any more. This kind
of partnership supposes the coincidence of strategic interests and
there is no such thing at present. This was said by the Director of
"Noravank" Foundation Gagik Harutyunyan in an interview with IA REGNUM,
when he commented on the recent developments in relations between
Ankara and Tel-Aviv, i.e. the demand of Turkish prime-minister Recep
Erdogan to bar Israel from the UN.
"The strategic alliance also supposes the similarity of strategic
interests, but today there are vast sectors of national interests of
Turkey and Israel which do not identify. Though, this probably will
not be reflected in the collaboration in the sphere of defense between
special services of two countries, but it's needless to say that
there is no more old level of partnership". - mentioned Harutyunyan.
The expert reminded that the frost in the relations between Turkey
and Israel begun several years ago, when some problems in the issues
of defense collaboration aroused and Turkish General Staff complained
of "double standards" applied by Tel-Aviv. Harutyunyan explained that
Turkish-Israeli contradictions are provoked both by regional and global
factors, and first and foremost, by the war in Ira q and slackening
of the US presence in the region. "The strengthening of Kurdish factor
in Iraq was negative phenomenon for Turkey, while at the same time it
served Israel's purpose, because they used that factor against Arabs
of Iraq, both Sunnis and Shiahs. That issue caused serious conflict of
interests between Ankara and Tel-Aviv", - said the political scientist.
He also mentioned that alongside with the slackening of influence of
Washington in the region and the consolidation of "polypolar" world
every state in that region should act in its own interest. "Raising
the question of barring Israel from the UN, Erdogan tries to become a
leader of Islamic world, especially if we remember that the spiritual
leader of Iran banned the citizens of his country to take part in
war in Gaza", - told the analyst.
He also mentioned that there are serious domestic policy problems
in Turkey, such as the problems with national minorities, army, the
confrontation of kemalists and islamists. The desire of Turkey to shift
domestic policy problems to foreign-policy field sometimes brings to
"extravagant" actions such as the recent statements of Erdogan and
the dialogue with Armenia", - says the expert.
Harutyunyan underlined that this situation is not likely to give a
rise to the recognition of the Armenian Genocide in Knesset. "In its
approach to the Armenian Genoc ide Israel takes into account not only
the position of Turkey but also its own interest of being the only
nation which falls under the definition of "victim of genocide". But
on the other hand, in Harutyunyan's opinion the current situation in
relations between Ankara and Tel-Aviv may become a positive signal
to the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Washington. "From
this point of view Armenia should not only head for improvement
of relations with Turkey but at the same time look for new ally in
Israel", - concluded the analyst.