Sabah: Moscow aims to strengthen relations with Ankara no matter what
Putin and Erdogan held talks in Sochi, Sabah reports. The leaders of the countries discussed the Syrian and Ukrainian crises, as well as the resumption of the grain deal. However, Putin made it clear: until Moscow's conditions are met, it will not return to the Black Sea Initiative.
Burhanettin Duran
Yesterday, September 4, we were in Sochi on the occasion of the one-day working visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In the days when the need to renew the grain corridor agreement, which ceased to be in force on July 17, 2023, is on the world agenda, attention was drawn to the meeting of the Turkish leader and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. During the period of reviving relations between Turkey and the West after Ankara gave the green light to Sweden's membership in the alliance at the Vilnius NATO summit, some believed that the meeting of the heads of the Russian and Turkish states would not go quite smoothly. However, everyone agreed that there is a special leadership diplomacy between Erdogan and Putin. In addition, Turkish-Russian relations, which were restructured after 2015, have their own peculiarities. Managing the risk of confrontation in Syria, the two leaders have strengthened and deepened their cooperation in many areas, ranging from energy, tourism and ending with defense. The volume of trade between the two countries reached $69 billion, while the goal was set at one hundred billion dollars. The parties are also discussing the construction of a new nuclear power plant in Sinop following the Akkuyu NPP. The Ukrainian military conflict has to some extent changed the nature of relations between Moscow and Ankara. Turkey, which has not joined the sanctions, has demonstrated, on the one hand, its strategic independence, on the other – an exceptional policy of balance. Today, Erdogan is the only leader who can conduct diplomacy by contacting both Putin and Zelensky. He managed to maintain this balance without spoiling relations with either Russia or Ukraine. The grain corridor and prisoner exchange are the most important diplomatic events that have taken place during the Ukrainian crisis. And because of this role, the eyes of all capitals were riveted to Sochi.
When the motorcade of President Erdogan passed through the streets of Sochi, the people gathered on the sidewalks showed genuine interest, then filming on video, then waving their hands. This interest is primarily due to Turkey's non-alignment to restrictive measures against Russia, despite its membership in NATO. Another factor is Erdogan's leadership qualities, which are recognized by the peoples.
The fact that the Ministers of energy, Defense, Treasury and Finance, industry and technology, agriculture and forestry, and trade took part in the negotiations in Sochi along with the foreign ministers demonstrated a wide range of issues on the bilateral agenda. In addition, the presence of the heads of central banks indicated the use of national currencies, and the head of the Turkish National Intelligence Organization pointed to the Syrian dossier. As you know, important events have been taking place in Syria recently. The US is trying to limit Iranian influence by taking control of the Syrian-Iraqi border. In Raqqa, there are clashes between the People's Self-Defense Units (YPG) and Arab formations. Meanwhile, protests against the Assad regime continue in Deir ez-Zor. Thus, the Syrian issue may be the most interesting part of the negotiations. Erdogan and Putin, who met for the first time after the elections in Turkey, discussed a lot of issues in Sochi yesterday, as at every summit. They shared their views on many topics, from the Ukrainian conflict to global problems. At such meetings, leaders make decisions on issues that are discussed in detail by delegations. A one-on-one meeting creates the basis for making strategic assessments and outlining prospects.
Russia and Ukraine have alternative grain corridor plans. Kiev is trying to open a new route through the territorial waters of Bulgaria and Romania. Moscow complains that the current corridor does not work as promised (disconnection from the SWIFT system, a ban on the supply of fertilizers). On the other hand, Ankara is working with the UN on a new plan involving both Russia and Ukraine. Turkey does not want the Black Sea to be a conflict zone. The Russian side has been insisting for two months that in order to resume the deal, the West must fulfill its promises. In the statements of Erdogan and Putin at a press conference in the building of the former sanatorium, the deepening of cooperation on bilateral issues (the use of national currencies, cooperation in the field of nuclear energy, a gas hub, cooperation in the field of agriculture, an increase in tourist flow) came to the fore. Negotiations on the grain corridor will continue. Putin said that "the West has cheated Russia", that the grain that goes along the corridor does not reach poor countries. "If the sanctions are lifted, the corridor will reopen," the Russian president made it clear.
At the same time, the Russian leader stressed that one million tons of grain can be delivered through Turkey in cooperation with Qatar. Erdogan, in turn, expressed satisfaction that Russia has opened an office in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Regarding the grain corridor, the Turkish leader noted: "I think the deal should continue with the elimination of shortcomings." I drew attention to the work that is being done with the UN. He stressed that he agreed with Russia's dissatisfaction with the supply of grain destined for African countries to Europe. He announced that an agreement had been reached that Russian grain would be processed in Turkey and shipped to African states. Thus, following the results of the meeting in Sochi, we can say that Moscow will wait for some time until the West fulfills its promises, and Turkish-Russian relations will continue to strengthen.
Author: Burhanettin Duran
