Thought Archive

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Turkey, beware!

I will be really shocked if Turkish President Abdullah Gul visits Armenia., reacting to Armenian invitation. This is a bold step, which will not be taken lightly by Azerbaijan - not that we can do much about that. My opinion is that today is a very bad time for such a visit - a time when we have a real chance to prize Armenia away from her Russian masters, return our territories, and end the "genocide" claims for good. Turkey has to play key and decisive role in the Caucasus conflicts, by coming out strongly as a protector of all Caucasian nations, on the conditions that they drop their claims and venomous hate.

The AKP leaders and their Islamist cronies - which do not represent majority of Turkish population - are playing a dangerous game with Russia. Instead of cozying up to their biggest trade partner, Turkey has to realize that her biggest role in this region is to push Russia out of Caucasus and Central Asia once and for all. It is not a natural role of US State Department, disinterested in Muslim lives to push this agenda. Muslim Turkey has to take much bigger stake in her ethnic and religious kin which suffered under Russia for much too long.

The only right visit to Armenia should happen when Russian military bases leave her soil, when Azerbaijan territories are returned and Karabakh status is agreed upon to satisfaction of both parties. A visit before that is nothing but an exercise in opportunistic politics. Turkey will never be pro-russian and Armenian-friendly and we all know it.

2 comments:

LIVLIVS MAXIMVS said...

It is a very divisive action - thus it creates divisive opinions.

Even I can't form an opinion on this issue - I read a piece for this visit, and I start to think that this visit should happen, then I read something against - I start to think that this visit should be cancelled.

Hazar Nesimi said...

I disapprove of this act.