Turkish TV channel TGRT1 aired a map showing the forecast of Stratfor to expand the Turkish sphere of influence. It is assumed that by 2050, it will include a number of states in North Africa, the Middle East, the former Soviet Union, as well as regions in southern Russia, including Crimea, Kuban, the Rostov region and the republics of the North Caucasus.
RIA Novosti reported that the head of the Crimean parliament’s committee for people’s diplomacy and interethnic relations, Yuriy Hempel, said that the map shown by a Turkish TV channel with a forecast of Ankara’s expansion of its zone of influence into southern Russia looks ridiculous, the Turkish side should leave its dreams of Russian territory.
“The whole thing looks quite ridiculous and resembles a fragment of science fiction genre. I would advise the Turkish side to stop dreaming about the Russian territory otherwise one may exhaust oneself with such excessive appetite”, – Hempel told RIA Novosti.
According to him, Turkey was actively eyeing Crimea when it was part of Ukraine, deploying active propaganda and financial activities on the peninsula at the time.
“Now Crimea is a legal part of Russia. Russia is not Ukraine, such behind-the-scenes games will not work with it”, – Hempel said.