By Vestnik Kavkaza
As al-Qaeda extremist groups attacked suburbs of the Syrian town of Kesab on the border with Turkey, the Syrian Army located air defense missile systems near the border for intercept of aircrafts which would violate the country’s air space.
Oleg Peresypkin, deputy chairman of the Russian Diplomats Association, told Vestnik Kavkaza about the situation in Syria and its influence on the Caucasus.
- How can the Syrian conflict influence the situation in the South Caucasus?
- Of course it will have influence due to geographical proximity. Moreover, there are certain regional contacts which exist permanently. For example, I know that pilgrims who visited Mecca and Medina by car or by bus passed through Syria. Today it seems it will be impossible because of the events. I think Turkey, as a regional superpower, as we call it… There is a notion of pan-Turkism. All these regions used to be under Turkish management. So there are ideas of a political reconstruction of the caliphate in Turkey. It is no accident that Turkey sends its most experienced and powerful envoys to the countries of Central Asia, who try to spread ideas of pan-Turkism and provide serious aid. I am sure that the Caucasus used to be a sphere of Turkish interests, and the Turks follow the situation in the Caucasus. And our Caucasians should watch developments in Turkey.
What are the risks? If Bashar Assad begins to win, all the Wahhabi and Salafi elements, we call them fundamentalists, could run away to neighboring territories. They could appear in the Caucasus, and I think thus would create great tension.
- How can the situation over Crimea influence the situation in the region?
- I think Crimea has always been Russian territory. Ukraine has nothing in common with it. Initially, in the 6th century there were Greeks, later it was occupied by Turks, then Tatars appeared there. When it was a Russian territory, the Russians came there, and only after that the Ukrainians. There were several wars – the Crimean War, when Turkey and Western countries fought against Russia. The Sevastopol Siege. Crimea is important for Russian history, and its return is natural.
However, Ukraine and the West think it is unnatural, and it irritates them. They understand that they can’t do anything. I don’t think the USA or NATO will organize a military operation, but they will encourage Turkey and Saudi Arabia to improve support of the Syrian opposition. But I don’t think the Americans or NATO will fight against Syria.
Speaking about Syria, Peresypkin noted: “Certain optimism is caused by the fact that at the moment the opposition which fights against Bashar Assad is clashed into several groups, and sometimes they even fight against each other. Saudi Arabia withdrew its ambassador from Qatar, explaining it by the fact that Qatar is acting in Syria and the Middle East without coordinating its plans with Saudi Arabia and the Council for Cooperation of the Persian Gulf. I think we should continue supporting Bashar Assad’s regime, as at the moment it is achieving small, but real victories. And the Kurds play a significant role in the achievements. The Kurds shifted to Assad’s side; they have armed groups which defend Kurdish villages. Moreover, they captured two passes on the Turkish border and two passes on the Iraqi border. They try to block the Turkish corridor from the militants. However, the Kurds have no heavy arms, and they cannot represent serious resistance, if the Turks use artillery and tanks…
Certain actions by Israel are not excluded, as Israel feels safe, when the Syrians are busy with their internal problems. But new problems with the Palestinian Autonomy are possible, and the Israelis won’t organize a big military campaign against Syria.
We will use any opportunity to protect the Syrian regime. The Middle East is our neighbor not only geographically, but it is close to us in many aspects. And we should use any opportunities for a normalization of the situation in the region.”
