Press release, 09.08.2016
YABLOKO leader Grigory Yavlinsky answered the question of the journalists on the developments in Turkey, Russia’s military operation in Syria, migration crisis in Europe and presidential election in the USA at the press conference in Interfax.

Commenting on the military coup attempt in Turkey and the developments which followed it, YABLOKO leader expressed confidence that the radicals, who supported Recep Tayyip Erdogan, are going to take the place of force influence under the conditions of a dramatic weakening of the Turkish army.

“In view of this, not only the radical Islamic groups present in Syria will consider Turkey a resort as it used to be but they will now have a permanent growing military and political influence there,” Grigory Yavlinsky said.

According to Yavlinsky, “having such a neighbor is very dangerous”.

YABLOKO leader disapproved of Russia’s intervention in the Syrian conflict and called Russia’s military operation in Syria “a blunder”. “It is too far from Russia’s national interests. We believe that the conflict between Sunnis and Shia is not the sphere where Russia can interfere using armed forces,” Yavlinsky said. We are running the danger of being involved in a long conflict which is of no need, interest and perspective to Russia, he explained.

Russia should join the international anti-terror coalition instead, Yavlinsky noted.

Grigory Yavlinsky called the migration crisis in Europe and the increasing number of terrorist attacks in European cities a manifestation of “the main problem of the 21st century ” – an unbridgeable gap between the developed countries and the third world. “In 30-40 years time there will be no developing countries in the world. A gap between two or three billion people having high living standards and life span, technologies, education and the rest of the world will become so big that it will be impossible to overcome it.”

One needs to develop a corresponding policy and strategy in order to overcome this problem. However, there is no global vision on how to do it in Europe today, he said.

“I wish Russia would not behave like a ruffian and would not put spokes in one’s wheel, would not crack the Academy of Sciences, would not disperse the best professionals but would participate in the development of such a concept actively,” Yavlinsky said. He is convinced that Russia could play a major and positive role in this process. “Unfortunately, the limitation of the political course and the government do not allow to do it. And it will not take place until the course and the government are changed,” Yavlinsky noted.

The journalists also asked YABLOKO leader to comment on the presidential campaign in the USA. Yavlinsky said that both he and the YABLOKO party wished the best of luck to Hillary Clinton. “We think that [Hillary Clinton] will be the right choice both for the world and the US,” he said.

Grigory Yavlinsky placed Donald Trunp’s success on a par with Brexit. According to Yavlinsky, it shows that the traditional political system which used to be the most effective and wide-spread in the 20th century needs serious modernisation and renewal.