Turkey relaxes dependence on Russia, pursuing strategic interests – experts
Turkey has been long seeking to reduce its natural gas supplies from Russia in an effort to relax its dependence on the country, according to Armenian orientalists.
Commenting on the Turkish energy minister’s recent statement that the country has cut the gas import from 42 to 27-28 million cubic meters, Director of the National Academy’s Institute of Oriental Studies Ruben Safrastyan said the country is now trying to further reduce that volume to defend strategic interests.
“Strategically, of course, it is in Turkey’s interests to weaken dependence on Russia, but on the other hand, the Russian gas is more affordable to them than the gas received from other countries. This isn’t, perhaps, financially advantageous to Turkey from the short-run perspective, but from the strategic point of view, it does of course offer advantages,” he told Tert.am.
The expert said he finds that the move is also due to the United States’ pressures, which has been for many years urging the country to reduce dependence on the Russian gas.
“Of course, we cannot overestimate the Americans’ pressure, as we see Turkey prefers its own interests in many matters, including this one. But the Americans’ factor is present here,” he added.
Ruben Melkonyan, the deputy dean of the Yerevan State University’s Oriental Studies Department, says he doesn’t think that Turkey is thus joining the EU sanctions against Russia. “Since 1996, Turkey has been a member of the European Customs Union; hence this marks the stage of the struggle between the two – European and Eurasian customs unions. Apart from the EU-Russia conflict, there is also a conflict between the customs unions, with the European Customs Union representing the West’s interest and Russia being dominant in the Eurasian Customs Union,” he added.
The expert said he is under the impression that Turkey is now trying win the western powers’ heart after the taking tough steps in the recent period. “Another factor which should not be ignored has to do with the Turkish-Russian relations as an economic component, but it is worthwile to consider the anti-Russian moods and the anti-Russian phobia observed in Turkey’s political thinking,” he said, citing recent survey results.
From that point of view, Melkonyan added, Turkey may develop an unfriendly stance on the Armenian-Russian alliance. “I have very many times talked to Turkish political figures and political analysts who believe Armenia without Russia is different from what it is in the context of its relations with Russia. I think all these elements have their own role in this step of Turkey,” he added.
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