YEREVAN. – Turkey pursues a neo-Ottoman policy in Lebanon, forming neutral groups that spread a view that they lived better in Lebanon during the Ottoman Empire. The director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, turkologist Ruben Safrastyan said this at a press conference on Friday.

According to him, a new political system is being formed, and Turkey is trying to strengthen itself through the above-mentioned forces which will be directed, including against the activities of the Armenian community.

Against this background, the analyst underscored that Armenia and Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) should express readiness to receive the representatives of the Armenian community. "Besides, Yerevan—cooperating with Greece, Cyprus, and Egypt—must pursue an active policy in the region to curb Ankara's ambitions. It is also important to constantly counter-inform Turkey and remind about the Armenian heritage in the region," he added.

Also, Safrastyan expressed confidence that Turkey cannot play a decisive role in the Lebanese process, as it does not have such capacity.