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The trilateral relations between Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia raise concerns, since the cooperation between those countries has extended, involving the military sphere. Turkologist, Ruben Safrastyan, Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences, expressed such an opinion at a press conference on May 23. Mr. Safrastyan reminded that those countries are set to hold trilateral military drills in the current year.

“Turkey attempts to run a more active policy in the South Caucasus, in contrary to the fact that the country avoided it previously. Turkey attaches great importance to its ties with the new U.S. administration, seeking to maintain influence in the [Caucasus] region in order to increase its credit in the eyes of the U.S,” the turkologist observed.

Ruben Safrastyan also noted that Erdogan’s visit to the U.S. no way contributed to the U.S.-Turkey relations, considering the 20-minute meeting between the Turkish and U.S. presidents formal.

The turkologist does not observe any substantial changes in the political life of Turkey in the current year. “Certain status-quo has been established in Syria, which is maintained with the Russian and Iranian presence. This means that the chances of changing the status quo by other players are rather weak,” he concluded.