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RUSSIA-TURKEY ENERGY DEAL TEMPORARY - ARMENIAN EXPERTS
11:55 * 24.12.14
Turkey is maximum using its intersectional geo-political position to
raise its status in the region, a regional expert has said, commenting
on the emerging Russian-Turkish energy partnership.
"Against the backdrop of the Western sanctions, Russia is naturally
looking for new markets. China, feeling Russia's weakness, is trying to
raise its price further. That is why Turkey's open status pushes Russia
to that country's bosom," Turkologist Artak Shakaryan told Tert.am.
The expert said he finds that the Turkish policies of the past
centennial have been built on the East-West conflict, allowing the
country to act as a neutral mediator between the two. But he admitted
that Turkey has beenm, as a matter of fact, pursuing its own interests.
"In this respect, Turkey has been positioning itself as a transit
center - especially for hydrocarbons - in the past twenty years.
Turkey's strategy is to raise its importance while remaining a transit
point given that there are many European countries that wish but do
not purchase the Russian oil because of the sanctions. Purchasing
the Russian oil via Turkey will both lift the sanctions and satisfy
their demands. Otherwise, it is common knowledge that Europe will be
in store for a very 'cold' winter," he added.
Shakaryan says he sees that Turkey is trying to raise role in the
relationship with both Russia and Europe. as well as the "Islamic
State".
"Turkey manages to smuggle oil from the 'Islamic State' and sell it to
the Western countries which are allegedly unaware of that," he noted.
Commenting on possible impacts on Armenia, the Turkologist said
he knows that Armenians have sad memories from a past deepening of
Russia-Turkey relations.
"Moscow, as well as Ankara and Tehran see that they are rivals, so
regardless of the mutual cooperation's profitability in the short run,
Russia realizes in depth that Turkey is doing everything possible to
raise its dominance in Asia and Russia's southern Muslim parts. So
there's no wonder that Turkish intelligence officers trying to provoke
different movements are continuously detained in the Russian Caucasus
over the past years. And Turkey also sees that Russia will not miss
the appropriate occasion to claim [back] Western Armenia and the
lands gifted to Turkey under the Treaty of Kars," he added.
The political engineer Armen Badalyan says he expects Turkey's
increased role to also impact Armenia.
"By slowing down the South Stream (the natural gas will go to Turkey
and then to Europe) Turkey will increase its weight in both the region
and Europe, because Europe will start purchasing that gas from Turkey
instead of Bulgaria," he added.
Badalyan said he thinks that the natural gas deal also contributes
to a deepening of trade relations between Turkey and Russia.
"Turkey sides with Azerbaijan, whereas we all know what Azerbaijan's
position on [Nagorno-]Karabakh is. We can naturally say Turkey is
thus expanding its positions in the region, which I don't think will
bring anything positive to Armenia," he added.
As for EU's earlier promise to import the Iranian or Azerbaijani
gas instead of the South Stream, Babayan said he finds it just a PR
policy. "Besides, Azerbaijan does not have so much natural gas or
natural gas resources to make the delivery possible, given especially
that there are [unsettled] issues also with Iran," he said, noting
that Russia continues maintaining its positions.
The expert said further he doesn't expect Russia's enhanced status to
offer any advantages to Armenia. "The undermining of Russia's economy
is temporary, and that naturally depends on Russia's domestic economic
policies. In case it manages to implement reforms domestically,
it will overcome the shocks and develop, but if it does not draw
[corresponding] conclusions, it will weaken further," he added.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2014/12/24/turkey-russia/1544238
11:55 * 24.12.14
Turkey is maximum using its intersectional geo-political position to
raise its status in the region, a regional expert has said, commenting
on the emerging Russian-Turkish energy partnership.
"Against the backdrop of the Western sanctions, Russia is naturally
looking for new markets. China, feeling Russia's weakness, is trying to
raise its price further. That is why Turkey's open status pushes Russia
to that country's bosom," Turkologist Artak Shakaryan told Tert.am.
The expert said he finds that the Turkish policies of the past
centennial have been built on the East-West conflict, allowing the
country to act as a neutral mediator between the two. But he admitted
that Turkey has beenm, as a matter of fact, pursuing its own interests.
"In this respect, Turkey has been positioning itself as a transit
center - especially for hydrocarbons - in the past twenty years.
Turkey's strategy is to raise its importance while remaining a transit
point given that there are many European countries that wish but do
not purchase the Russian oil because of the sanctions. Purchasing
the Russian oil via Turkey will both lift the sanctions and satisfy
their demands. Otherwise, it is common knowledge that Europe will be
in store for a very 'cold' winter," he added.
Shakaryan says he sees that Turkey is trying to raise role in the
relationship with both Russia and Europe. as well as the "Islamic
State".
"Turkey manages to smuggle oil from the 'Islamic State' and sell it to
the Western countries which are allegedly unaware of that," he noted.
Commenting on possible impacts on Armenia, the Turkologist said
he knows that Armenians have sad memories from a past deepening of
Russia-Turkey relations.
"Moscow, as well as Ankara and Tehran see that they are rivals, so
regardless of the mutual cooperation's profitability in the short run,
Russia realizes in depth that Turkey is doing everything possible to
raise its dominance in Asia and Russia's southern Muslim parts. So
there's no wonder that Turkish intelligence officers trying to provoke
different movements are continuously detained in the Russian Caucasus
over the past years. And Turkey also sees that Russia will not miss
the appropriate occasion to claim [back] Western Armenia and the
lands gifted to Turkey under the Treaty of Kars," he added.
The political engineer Armen Badalyan says he expects Turkey's
increased role to also impact Armenia.
"By slowing down the South Stream (the natural gas will go to Turkey
and then to Europe) Turkey will increase its weight in both the region
and Europe, because Europe will start purchasing that gas from Turkey
instead of Bulgaria," he added.
Badalyan said he thinks that the natural gas deal also contributes
to a deepening of trade relations between Turkey and Russia.
"Turkey sides with Azerbaijan, whereas we all know what Azerbaijan's
position on [Nagorno-]Karabakh is. We can naturally say Turkey is
thus expanding its positions in the region, which I don't think will
bring anything positive to Armenia," he added.
As for EU's earlier promise to import the Iranian or Azerbaijani
gas instead of the South Stream, Babayan said he finds it just a PR
policy. "Besides, Azerbaijan does not have so much natural gas or
natural gas resources to make the delivery possible, given especially
that there are [unsettled] issues also with Iran," he said, noting
that Russia continues maintaining its positions.
The expert said further he doesn't expect Russia's enhanced status to
offer any advantages to Armenia. "The undermining of Russia's economy
is temporary, and that naturally depends on Russia's domestic economic
policies. In case it manages to implement reforms domestically,
it will overcome the shocks and develop, but if it does not draw
[corresponding] conclusions, it will weaken further," he added.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2014/12/24/turkey-russia/1544238