October 3, 2008 - 15:36 AMT
Turkey's activity fizzles out because of Azerbaijan
Turkey's Caucasus Platform seems to be an attempt to steal a march on the United States by offering its scenarios to restore peace in the South Caucasus after the August events, according to a Russian expert.
"However, Turkey's activity fizzled out because of Azerbaijan, it ally and friend, has assumed a position of non-interference," Vladimir Zakharov, head of the Center of Caucasus Studies at Moscow State Institute of International Relations, told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.
"Ilham Aliyev doesn't want to spoil relations with his friend, Mikhail Saakashvili. He doesn't want to draw Azerbaijan into the anti-Georgian campaign. His love for Russia is a show. Aliyev is a mature player. He knows how to harm Russia, without ever getting to be at loggerheads with it. He made Turkey stop any kind of assistance to the victims of the armed conflict in South Ossetia but doesn't have the courage to make a public statement. Besides, Turkey understood that it won't be able to implement its projects, so there is nothing to do but make the best of a bad job," Zakharov said.