Monday, August 12 2019 18:55

ArmInfo. A fully formed alliance between Russia and Turkey, moreover, directed against NATO, does not exist. Confirmation - the absence of statements from Ankara on  withdrawal from the North Atlantic Alliance. And, of course, the  absence of statements on the expulsion of Turkey from Brussels. A  similar opinion was expressed by ArmInfo, leading researcher at the  Center for Euro-Atlantic Security of the Institute for International  Studies at MGIMO, Sergey Markedonov.

"However, there are problems between Turkey and the West, and of a  multifaceted nature and level. For example, the European Union often  blames Ankara for human rights violations and unwillingness to act in  accordance with democratic values and standards accepted in Europe.  All this has been deepened deeply by Turkish geological exploration  in the waters of Cyprus, causing a sharp negative reaction from  Brussels. To which the four main Turkish parliamentary parties  condemned in a joint declaration the EU's decision to suspend  negotiations with Ankara, " he said

There are pitfalls and surface stones, he said, in US-Turkish  relations. In particular, Ankara still has not settled relations with  Washington after a failed military attempt to carry out a coup in  Turkey. Preacher Fethullah Gulen, residing and operating from the  United States, further strengthens Recep Erdogan in his vision of  American intervention in Turkish affairs. Turks condemn the USA for  their situational but support for the Kurds.

Thus, against a similar background, Ankara, according to analysts,  considers relations with Moscow as a counterweight to appetites and  criticism of the West in its own respect. Moreover, these relations  are quite limited and there are numerous disagreements between their  parties. For example, in the issue of the Crimea. According to  Markedonov, the opinions of Moscow and Ankara on radical Islamism are  different.  So if the radical Islamists for Russia are the main  enemies in the Middle East, then for Turkey the Kurds are the main  enemy. The prospect of an independent Kurdistan for Ankara is much  more dangerous than radical Islamism.

"And of course, Nagorno-Karabakh, where Moscow is trying to act as a  moderator, while building relations with Yerevan and Baku, perhaps  with some bias towards the former. Moreover, Moscow appreciates  relations with the latter, to which Azerbaijan reciprocates. Inter  because the Turkish approach to Karabakh is absolutely  pro-Azerbaijani - Ankara has no diplomatic relations with Yerevan. It  is clear that, given the strategic relations with Armenia, this is  clearly not the best option for Russia, "Markedonov summed up.