ISTANBUL: Talks are expected to dominate Friday between the Russian president seeking to end the war in Ukraine and start a new one in Syria. Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyippi erdogan,
Erdogan will ride high on the diplomatic success of helping to restart Ukrainian grain shipments across the Black Sea when he visits Sochi for his second talks. putin In just two weeks.
But there are tensions. The Turkish leader was told by Putin in Tehran last month that Russia opposes any new attacks that Turkey may plan against Kurdish militants in northern Syria.
Analysts believe these tensions are part of the “competitive cooperation” that has defined the two leaders’ relations over the past 20 years.
“Russia’s war on Ukraine has restored Turkey’s self-image as a major geopolitical player and has given Erdogan more visibility than at any time in the past few years,” the European Council of Foreign Affairs said. Relations partner Asli Aydintasbas wrote in a report last week.
“Most Turks support their country’s balancing act and the semi-neutral position between the West and Russia.”
In the face of Moscow’s historic standoff with the West over Ukraine, efforts by NATO member Turkey to remain neutral are paying off.
Turkey’s months of efforts saw Moscow and Kyiv Sign a UN-backed agreement in Istanbul last month to resume the delivery of grain from Ukraine’s ports.
The first ship from Ukraine crossed Istanbul on Wednesday. Three more are expected to leave on Friday as part of a landmark deal designed to address the global food crisis caused by the war.
Turkey wants to translate this success into talks between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Istanbul.
“We discussed whether the grain agreement could be an opportunity for a permanent ceasefire,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said after talks with his Russian counterpart. Sergei Lavrov in Asia on Wednesday.
Complicating these efforts are repeated threats by Erdogan to launch a new military operation in Syria – a country where Russian and Turkish interests clash.
Russia’s military helped Syrian President Bashar al-Assad survive a decades-long insurgency by Turkish-backed groups.
But Erdogan is threatening to invade northern Syria to establish a buffer zone that drives out Kurdish groups, which he links to “terrorists” rebelling against the Turkish state.
Putin told Russian media in Tehran that he still had “some disagreements, obviously” with Erdogan about Syria.
“Most likely, (Friday’s) meeting has something to do with a possible incursion into Syria, for which Turkey has not received the green light from Russia or from Iran,” said Istanbul foreign affairs analyst Soli Ozel. ” university.
“Russia has to get something in return,” Ozel said.
Some Turkish media speculate that Putin may actually want drones.
Turkey is supplying Kyiv with deadly Bayraktar aerial vehicles that have proven effective in destroying Russian armored columns in the Ukrainian war zone.
US officials say a Russian team has visited Iran to look for scope to purchase hundreds of drones for its own forces in Ukraine.
Erdogan has added to the intrigue by telling his cabinet that Putin had asked him to start selling beraktar to Russia in Tehran.
A senior Turkish official later said that Erdogan interpreted the suggestion as a joke.
But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov bolstered the idea.
“Military and technical cooperation is always on the agenda of both countries,” Peskov told reporters.
An unexpected source of tension is how the two leaders – who have long been famous for being late – will actually meet.
Erdogan made Putin stand for about 50 seconds before heading out to greet him in Tehran.
The camera of Turkey’s state news agency kept an eye on Putin’s playful face the whole time.
Many interpreted this as a return to the time Putin made Erdogan wait for nearly two minutes at a meeting in 2020.
Erdogan will ride high on the diplomatic success of helping to restart Ukrainian grain shipments across the Black Sea when he visits Sochi for his second talks. putin In just two weeks.
But there are tensions. The Turkish leader was told by Putin in Tehran last month that Russia opposes any new attacks that Turkey may plan against Kurdish militants in northern Syria.
Analysts believe these tensions are part of the “competitive cooperation” that has defined the two leaders’ relations over the past 20 years.
“Russia’s war on Ukraine has restored Turkey’s self-image as a major geopolitical player and has given Erdogan more visibility than at any time in the past few years,” the European Council of Foreign Affairs said. Relations partner Asli Aydintasbas wrote in a report last week.
“Most Turks support their country’s balancing act and the semi-neutral position between the West and Russia.”
In the face of Moscow’s historic standoff with the West over Ukraine, efforts by NATO member Turkey to remain neutral are paying off.
Turkey’s months of efforts saw Moscow and Kyiv Sign a UN-backed agreement in Istanbul last month to resume the delivery of grain from Ukraine’s ports.
The first ship from Ukraine crossed Istanbul on Wednesday. Three more are expected to leave on Friday as part of a landmark deal designed to address the global food crisis caused by the war.
Turkey wants to translate this success into talks between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Istanbul.
“We discussed whether the grain agreement could be an opportunity for a permanent ceasefire,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said after talks with his Russian counterpart. Sergei Lavrov in Asia on Wednesday.
Complicating these efforts are repeated threats by Erdogan to launch a new military operation in Syria – a country where Russian and Turkish interests clash.
Russia’s military helped Syrian President Bashar al-Assad survive a decades-long insurgency by Turkish-backed groups.
But Erdogan is threatening to invade northern Syria to establish a buffer zone that drives out Kurdish groups, which he links to “terrorists” rebelling against the Turkish state.
Putin told Russian media in Tehran that he still had “some disagreements, obviously” with Erdogan about Syria.
“Most likely, (Friday’s) meeting has something to do with a possible incursion into Syria, for which Turkey has not received the green light from Russia or from Iran,” said Istanbul foreign affairs analyst Soli Ozel. ” university.
“Russia has to get something in return,” Ozel said.
Some Turkish media speculate that Putin may actually want drones.
Turkey is supplying Kyiv with deadly Bayraktar aerial vehicles that have proven effective in destroying Russian armored columns in the Ukrainian war zone.
US officials say a Russian team has visited Iran to look for scope to purchase hundreds of drones for its own forces in Ukraine.
Erdogan has added to the intrigue by telling his cabinet that Putin had asked him to start selling beraktar to Russia in Tehran.
A senior Turkish official later said that Erdogan interpreted the suggestion as a joke.
But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov bolstered the idea.
“Military and technical cooperation is always on the agenda of both countries,” Peskov told reporters.
An unexpected source of tension is how the two leaders – who have long been famous for being late – will actually meet.
Erdogan made Putin stand for about 50 seconds before heading out to greet him in Tehran.
The camera of Turkey’s state news agency kept an eye on Putin’s playful face the whole time.
Many interpreted this as a return to the time Putin made Erdogan wait for nearly two minutes at a meeting in 2020.