The most sensitive issue during an interview with Russian journalist and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has carefully avoided. They spoke in particular about the terrorist organization “Islamic state” (organization banned in Russia) and income from the sale of oil. Who are the buyers of this oil? The Syrian government, Erdogan said. However, he also reported on the rumors that Turkey is allegedly also among the buyers. But, he said, someone just tried to “drag in the story” his family.
Someone. He was told.
As if it were nothing more than a vague, vague rumors. But talking about it specifically, Erdogan did not want to. According to him, the accusations against his family came not from the Kremlin, and on the other sides. “The leading political class, including President Erdogan and his family are involved in this illegal trade,” — said earlier the Moscow.
Since then, it took about eight months — then relations between Turkey and Russia have reached their lowest point. But the journalist of the Russian state news Agency TASS did not clarify this point. Instead of having to remind about the conflict, he chose to change the subject. And spoke on the joint construction of the pipeline.
During the scheduled Tuesday meeting of Vladimir Putin with Erdogan in St. Petersburg, nothing should disturb the harmony restored. West partner of Turkey’s NATO — is a frightening picture. Almost every day speaking with caustic remarks about Berlin, Vienna or Washington, in Moscow, Erdogan is only friendly words. So, the Russian President recently called him ” an accomplice of terrorists. But he, nevertheless, refers to Putin as “my dear friend Vladimir.”
After the failed coup of July 15, the positions of Moscow and Ankara closer than ever. The meeting with Erdogan will be held in Saint-Petersburg — the hometown of Putin. This is the first foreign visit of the Turkish leader after the coup attempt and only his second meeting with the other heads of state. In early August, Ankara was visited by Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan, a close ally of Moscow.
In addition, Putin and Erdogan share a common feeling: both of them feel betrayed — West, NATO and the CIA. Putin opposes the Alliance’s expansion to the East and accused the Americans of fomenting revolution in Russia.
Erdogan, in turn, embittered by the behavior of their Western allies after a coup attempt. In his opinion, the West has sent to Ankara of a delegation of high enough rank. For example, the head of the German delegation was the Secretary of state. But Erdogan accused the West of sympathizing with his enemies: “Those whom we considered friends, support the coup,” said he.
Alienation among NATO members
The commander of U.S. Central command Joseph Votel (Joseph Votel) Erdogan is accused of conspiring with the rebels. Turkish media say that a coup attempt was prepared by former CIA officials. Ilker Basbug (Ilker Basbug), until 2010, head of the Turkish General staff, and in 2012, accused of planning to overthrow Erdogan is sure that “American intelligence agencies use the movement led by Fethullah Gulen”.
The estrangement between Turkey and other NATO members to the West is causing concern. Former Minister of foreign Affairs of Sweden Carl Bildt (Carl Bildt) said that Europe should do more to support Erdogan after the attempted coup. According to him, Europeans tacitly agree with the actions of the military, because the objective of such revolutions are “inconvenient” for the Old world presidents.
It had already taken place in 2013 in Egypt, when the military overthrew the democratically elected President Morsi, recalled Bildt. “No coup can never be justified”, — he wrote in an article for the website Politico. The fact that the first head of state, who will Erdogan after a coup attempt, it will be Putin, is a “disgrace for Europe”, said the Swedish diplomat.
The question is, how difficult it is for NATO, the consequences might be disagreements between West and Turkey. In Moscow dream about that together with Turkey to become the “engine of Eurasian integration”, as formulated by the political scientist Vladimir Sotnikov. Because the increasingly authoritarian Erdogan regime could gradually turn away from the West and face to the same authoritarian Russia.
The editor of the magazine “Russia in global Affairs” Fyodor Lukyanov, however, does not believe in a complete rupture between Ankara and NATO. Turkey, he said, very much in need of protection from the United States. Washington, in turn, cannot afford to lose Erdogan, because Turkey plays a very important role in the region. On the other hand, it does have a lot in common with Russia. Both countries are on the periphery of Europe, “but was never recognized in the West as an equal. Thus, they fell out of the European project”.
