Turkey is becoming a regional power, which results in a significant
intensification of its foreign policy activity. This was stated in an
interview with Vestnik Kavkaza, said the associate professor of
international relations at the University of Economics and Technology
(Ankara) Togrul Ismail.
"Lately, we have seen the activation of Turkey in the region, it is becoming
a regional state. Therefore, of course, in the near future, Turkey's
role in the region will increase significantly, especially when one
considers that Azerbaijan and Turkey have had some success in
terms of strategic cooperation ", he said.
However, he said it is too early to talk about Turkey's full
participation in the settlement of regional conflicts as a mediator.
Although, according to Togrul Ismail, the presence of Turkey, for
example, in the negotiations on the Karabakh problem could seriously
contribute to its solution.
"So far, I think, it is too early to say that Turkey can become a
co-chair of the Minsk Group, although I am one of those who support
this idea. I think that this format - United States, Russia, Turkey -
is a real part of the OSCE Minsk Group that can find a compromise
solution. As far as I know, the Iranian side as a neighboring state
also looks positively at the perspective, because Turkey is at least a
country of the region and also, although Turkey is a secular country,
it is mostly Muslim. Thus, the opinion of the other parts of the
region will also be taken into consideration in this matter. But it is
too early to say that Turkey will be a co-chair, but it might be
possible soon. The Azeri side raised the issue, "said the expert.
