Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 9
By Anakhanum Khidayatova - Trend:
Turkey's membership in NATO doesn't allow it to influence Russia on the Syrian issue, vice-chairman of the Turkish analytical centre Strategic Outlook Mehmet Fatih Oztarsu told Trend Oct. 9.
"Turkey's possibilities are limited due to its membership in NATO," said the expert. "The only thing Ankara can do is to protect its air borders."
He went on to add that Ankara is confused and cannot understand what is happening.
"It seems that the Turkish authorities are still unable to defend their rights," he said. "Turkey adheres to the position of NATO. Ankara still believes that the main goal of Russia is the "Islamic State"."
Earlier, the Turkish foreign ministry spread the information that the Russian Air Force planes, taking part in military operations in Syria, violated Turkish airspace Oct. 3.
The Turkish Air Force planes were also involved with the aim of warning following this violation.
The Russian planes then left the Turkish airspace.
After the incident, the Russian ambassador to Ankara was summoned to the Turkish foreign ministry to clarify the situation.
Turkey will not allow the repeated violation of its airspace by the planes of the Russian Air Forces, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said earlier.
The president stressed that any violation of the Turkish borders is a violation of NATO's borders.
"I think that Russia will not want to spoil relations with Turkey," President Erdogan said.
He also said that if Russia loses Turkey, it will lose a lot.
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin appealed to the Federation Council for permission to use the Russian Armed Forces abroad. The Senate approved this request. The head of the Russian Presidential Administration Sergey Ivanov told reporters that the decision concerns Syria and the matter rests in the operation of the Military Air Forces.
Russia sent military aircraft to Syria after Damascus's request. The Russian Military Forces are inflicting strikes on the positions of the Islamic State terrorist organization in Syria.
Edited by CN
Follow the author on Twitter: @Anahanum