YEREVAN, AUGUST 12, ARMENPRESS. According to political analyst Richard Giragosian, it is unlikely for the Russian-Turkish relations to be some kind of a threat for the West.

“In terms of the crisis in Turkish-Russian relations, despite Turkish frustration with the West and a fresh clash with the United States, the West should fear many things from both Russia and Turkey, but fear over a “Russia-Turkey convergence” would be neither prudent nor prescient. In fact, the West should actually embrace and encourage the de-escalation of the crisis between the Russia and Turkey”, Giragosian told ARMENPRESS.

In his words, the improvement of Russian-Turkish ties cannot replace or be an alternative for the Turkey-West relations.

“And despite the current crisis in Turkish relations with the West, the Turkish leadership is smart enough to remain aligned with the West. Turkey realizes that beyond the bluff and bluster, Russia is still operating from a position of fundamental weakness and insecurity”, he said.

According to Giragosian, it will take much more than a one-time presidential summit to overcome the inherent rivalry between Russia and Turkey, and there is much more that divides the two countries than unites them.

“And in the wake of Turkey’s failed coup, an emboldened Turkish president will only seek to enhance his own position. From this perspective, it is the West, much more than Russia that matters most to Turkey, especially as Turkey recognizes that its own strategic significance is still crucial for Western interests”, Giragosian said.