SAM expert delivers speech in international conference in Ankara
Ankara, February 5 (AZERTAC). Research fellow in the Foreign Policy Analysis Department of the Center for Strategic Studies (SAM) Zaur Shiriyev has delivered a speech in an International conference on “Obama`s Second Term: Realism, Change & Continuity in Turkey-U.S. Relations” organized by the Ankara-based International Strategic Research Organization (USAK) in Ankara, Turkey.
The conference started with the introducing speeches of USAK Director Ozdem Samberk, the US Ambassador to Turkey Francis J. Ricciardone and Zeynel Abidin Erdem; and continued with the first session, including the US and Turkish perspectives regarding the current trends in bilateral relations.
Speakers Michael Werz, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fusun Turkmen, Stephen Flanagan and Prof. Dr. Cagrı Erhan, examined today`s bilateral relations between Turkey and the US, considering Turkish and the US perspectives. General topics were common strategies and different perspectives of Turkey and the US in terms of Iraq, Iran, Syria, Southern Cyprus and EU membership. Speakers expressed their positive opinions regarding the current position and the future of bilateral relations.
Also, the events that led to a transition of bilateral relations from a strategic partnership into a model partnership during Obama`s initial and latter terms were underlined. Speakers expressed their positive opinions regarding the current context surrounding bilateral relations, while expressing concern with regards to a few but still troubling impediments created as a result of the deterioration in Turkey-Israel relations and the blurry path of Turkey-Iran relations.
In the second session on “Turkey-U.S. Relations in Context: Regional and Global Dimensions” the speakers` focal points were on the global socio-economic crisis and its repercussions on bilateral relations, the Arab Spring and democratization in the Middle East, US rebalancing toward the Asia-Pacific and prospective Eurasian strategies that may be useful for keeping Turkey-US relations. Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, destructive activity of Armenian diaspora were also discussed in this session.
Speaking about Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, SAM expert Zaur Shiriyev highlighted that Azerbaijan and Georgia expect a more assertive President Barack Obama in his second term.
“The unresolved conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh is considered the most daunting issue for regional security in the South Caucasus” the Azerbaijani expert added.
The event was attended by ambassadors, diplomats, think-tank representatives, academics and the media.
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