Caucasus Platform may promote frozen conflicts resolution, Turkish expert says
Turkey's Caucasus platform serves the interests of all countries in the region, according to deputy chairman of the Turkish Asian Center for Strategic Studies (TASAM).
"Such an alliance could serve the interests of all the countries' involved. Turkey proposed to set up a platform for cooperation and stability in the Caucasus to help the resolution of conflicts through dialogue after the Russia-Georgia conflict," Murat Bilhan said.
"Turkey, Russia, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, the countries planned to take part in this formation had voiced optimism, however experts are divided over the prospect of such a platform. I think Turkey's proposal as a positive step. It is highly achievable. Azerbaijan and Armenia have already welcomed the proposal. Iran declared its immediate desire to join. I believe that Russia will also be positive in its outlook," he said, adding that such an alliance could also contribute to the resolution of frozen conflicts in the region, like Nagorno Karabakh.
"Turkey may host the headquarters of this alliance, as it did in the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) that was established upon Turkey's proposal by in Istanbul in 1994," Bilhan concluded, Hurriyet daily reports.
"Such an alliance could serve the interests of all the countries' involved. Turkey proposed to set up a platform for cooperation and stability in the Caucasus to help the resolution of conflicts through dialogue after the Russia-Georgia conflict," Murat Bilhan said.
"Turkey, Russia, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, the countries planned to take part in this formation had voiced optimism, however experts are divided over the prospect of such a platform. I think Turkey's proposal as a positive step. It is highly achievable. Azerbaijan and Armenia have already welcomed the proposal. Iran declared its immediate desire to join. I believe that Russia will also be positive in its outlook," he said, adding that such an alliance could also contribute to the resolution of frozen conflicts in the region, like Nagorno Karabakh.
"Turkey may host the headquarters of this alliance, as it did in the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) that was established upon Turkey's proposal by in Istanbul in 1994," Bilhan concluded, Hurriyet daily reports.
