September 17, 2008 - 16:36 AMT
Turkey wants to manifests itself as powerful regional player
Offering its Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Pact, Turkey was guided by an aspiration to interfere into Caucasus affairs, Vladimir Zakharov, head of the center of Caucasus Studies at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. "It just took over the initiative like Sarkozy did to become the major mediator in the Russian-Georgian collision," he said.

"The international community has finally understood that U.S. statements regarding Georgia are empty and merely emotional. Turkey, to counterbalance the United States, wants to manifests itself as a powerful regional player. By the way, Turkish officials' frequent visits to Russia are held without prior consultations with the U.S," he said.

At that he noted that the Caucasus Platform will not function without Iran.

"Actually, Saakashvili frustrated the U.S. plans to attack Iran. But it's worth mentioning that his actions have a scientific explanation. "Autumn exacerbation" is typical for schizophrenics. Anyway, it's impossible to understand why he started bombing Tskhinvali," the Russia expert emphasized.