The world is providing humanitarian aid to Lebanon in the aftermath of the devastating explosion at the port of Beirut. One of the first countries to do so was Turkey, which, according to many news outlets, is more so trying to take advantage of the situation and extend its influence over the internal politics of Lebanon.
Expert on Eastern and regional affairs, Armen Petrosyan, spoke with Aravot Daily about this. “The possible increase in Turkish activity and influence in the internal politics of Lebanon is one of the most dangerous developments that could threaten the security of Lebanon and the surrounding region, as well as the Lebanese-Armenian community. The current situation, as well as the uncompromising conflict between the main players, have provided all opportunities for Ankara to play a more active role in Lebanon.”
He continued, “The current crisis in Lebanon is a result of tense relations between the external players in that conflict, especially Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United States, and France. The relations between Iran and the USA, which grew tenser over the past two to three years, has also had its impact on Lebanon. Therefore, the fact that no one is able to reach a compromise has created lots of opportunities for Ankara. Until then, the main players in Lebanese affairs were trying to exclude Turkey from potential involvement in Lebanese internal political affairs. But now, since the country will be needing support for a long time, Ankara can and is trying to take advantage of the situation. The Turkish authorities have even offered to rebuild the port using their own means and, if I am not mistaken, they suggested that the Lebanese authorities make use of the Turkish port. So, Turkey is trying to take advantage of the situation and this involvement can either be direct or indirect through Qatar. Turkey has been trying to get involved in different conflicts through Qatar or through its collaborations with Qatar. Libya and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict are in the same situation. This same scenario can also take place in Lebanon. This can be predicted based on the fact that Qatar became the second country after France to provide Lebanon with the most aid of $50 million after the crisis. This is creating new opportunities for Turkey, which, as I said before, is dangerous for Lebanon’s sovereignty and regional affairs.”
When asked how the increase in Turkish activity can be dangerous for Lebanese-Armenians, Petrosyan said, “There are several ways. First, one of the reasons why Turkey may want to get involved in regional conflicts is due to the fact that it wants to weaken the positions of the Armenian community. The Armenian communities in the region are united as a result of the Armenian Genocide during the Ottoman Empire. They also are the communities that are the closest to Armenia. And Turkey will do everything it can to decrease their influence and weaken their positions, as well as to destroy their cultural heritage and those communities in general.”
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