Zatulin: Turkey-Azerbaijan strategic alliance and formation of Great  Turan path pose a threat to Russia

ArmInfo.  Konstantin Zatulin, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots, discussed the differences that exist today in the positions of Russia and Azerbaijan on a whole range of issues.

Zatulin believes that  demonstrating the style of "a bad peace is  better than a good quarrel", means there is a need to normalize  relations with Azerbaijan. However, according to the politician, this  does not mean Moscow should deceive itself about the depth of this  cooperation. "Azerbaijan is following its own course.  The features  of this course are the seizure of Nagorno-Karabakh and the refusal of  a peaceful settlement in 2023. Azerbaijan took advantage of the fact  that Armenia had a weak  and not very national government at the  time, and carried out its plans with Turkey's support. To avoid  Russia's interference, it had to continue playing at strategic  partnership for the time being," Zatulin noted in a conversation with  Lenta.ru, touching on the differences in the two countries' positions   on several issues. According to the deputy, once Baku's objectives  were achieved, there was no longer a need to coordinate anything with  Russia. 

"Moreover, further pressure on Armenia, the construction of the  Zangezur corridor, and the involvement of Americans, Israelis and  others in this region are clearly not in the interests of the Russian  Federation.  Moreover, the strategic alliance between Turkey and  Azerbaijan is not just a bilateral alliance, but also a path towards  continuing the formation of the great Turan, penetration into the  Turkic, as they believe, Central Asia and, by the way, into those  regions of Russia  populated by Turks. This conflicts with Russia's  interests and poses threats to the country. As these issues come to  the forefront, the need for Azerbaijan to camouflage its intentions  has vanished," he added. Zatulin said that Baku is strengthening its  relations with Washington and Tel Aviv as a means against Tehran. The  deputy explained that this is also against Russia's interests, as  Russia had hoped for a North-South corridor through Azerbaijan to  Iran. "I have a very clear impression that Azerbaijan is ready to  participate in some kind of conspiracies against Iran in order to try  to destabilize the Islamic Republic of Iran, where a significant part  of the population is Azerbaijanis. Aliyev does not conceal this  intention," the politician said.