Mehmet Erol: CSTO rapid reaction force second Warsaw Pact

PanARMENIAN.Net - Kyrgyzstan's decision is as noteworthy as Russia's move to create a bloc because this is another concrete act showing us that Russia is returning to the Caucasus in order to establish a military bloc, a Turkish expert said.



"While doing this, Moscow is also trying to influence certain countries which have distanced themselves from the idea of becoming part of such a bloc. This situation may take us back to the conditions similar to those of the Cold War era, when there was a bipolar world - centered on Washington and Moscow. This time, we will not see a bipolar, but we will see a multipolar system; but yet again, tensions between Russia and the West will be the determining factor within this multi-polar system," associate Professor Kasim Kamer said.



"Turkey took great advantage of the bipolar system. It became a NATO member although it didn't take part in World War II. Now, the new tension will be positively reflected on Turkey's relationship with the West. Of course, Turkey should also outline some new strategies, for example it can improve military cooperation with Azerbaijan," said Kamer, an expert on the Caucasus from the Ankara-based International Strategic Research Organization (ISRO/ USAK).



"The West is facing powerful competition from Russia both in the fields of energy and the military. Turkey's importance will increase through the Black Sea to Central Asia and Ankara will use this to its advantage in this new era," Kamer said.



According to Dr. Mehmet Seyfettin Erol, this is basically a new or a second Warsaw Pact and another great game has begun. What triggered this new game is Obama's decision to focus on Afghanistan.



With turning its attention to the Collective Security Treaty Organization, Russia wants to assume an integrationist policy in "its Near Abroad," Erol said, adding that Russia will soon force former Soviet Union countries and Soviet satellite countries in the Balkans, Eastern Europe and the Baltic to join this new bloc.



"In the past, Washington was using political, economical and security-related interventions to keep Turkey on side, but since Turkey has tried hard to overcome its weaknesses related to these issues with its multi-dimensional diplomacy, now the U.S. will have to take Turkey's interests and concerns into consideration if it wants Turkey to help. Russia meanwhile doesn't want to intimidate Turkey as bilateral relations has been based on cooperation but not on competition since the signing of the Eurasia Agreement in New York in 2001. Thus, the step which will be taken by Turkey will be decisive in this big game and with this step; Ankara will not openly side with any of the parties, trying to balance the situation with collective regional efforts," Erol said, Today's Zaman reports.