Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan will set up Turkey as one of Ukraine's most devoted supporters amid the public feud between Ukrainian President Voldy Zelensky and US President Donald Trump. I'm working on it.
Zelensky met with Erdogan in Ankara on Tuesday to open a new Ukrainian embassy to discuss Turkey's involvement as a mediator in the Russian-Ukraine war. After the meeting, Zelensky claimed that Türkiye was sitting at the negotiation table alongside Ukraine and the European Union.
“Ukraine and Europe are broadly meaningful, including the European Union, Turkey and the UK should be involved in the necessary security guarantee conversations and developments with the United States regarding the fate of the world,” Zelensky said. I said that.
The Ukrainian president was scheduled to fly to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia after meeting Erdogan in Turkey, but postponed his trip to Saudi Arabia and expressed disapproval of the Russian Congress in Riyadh without Ukraine present I did.
His side, Erdogan I said After meeting Zelensky, Turkey will become “the ideal host of negotiations that are likely to begin between Russia, Ukraine and the United States.”
Erdogan pointed to Turkey's success in negotiations for the Black Sea grain trade between 2022 and 2023. This allowed Ukraine to export much-needed agricultural products through a secure corridor until Russia withdrew from the agreement as evidence of its value as a mediator.
According to Zelensky, Erdogan assured him during the meeting that Turkey would support Ukraine, joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Erdogan was far more vague about the topic of Ukraine's security assurance in his own public comments.
Turkey has several important commercial and historical ties to Ukraine. One of the most important commercial links at the moment is via Baykar, a world-class Turkish drone manufacturer owned by Erdogan's son-in-law, Selkuk Beiraktal. The Ukrainians praised biker drones as essential to their defense against the Russians.
A powerful historical and ethnic link between Türkiye and Ukraine comes through the Crimean Tatars. Part of Ukraine Until Russia seized control of Crimea in 2014.
It has it by the Tatars of Crimea Its roots date back to the ancient Greece and Scythian kingdoms in the 3rd century BC, formed their own nation in the 15th century, becoming modern Turkey after being defeated in World War I. Today, most Crimean Tatars are Sunni Muslims, and most Crimean Muslims are Tatars.
The Ukrainian government believes that the Crimean Tatars are indigenous, but Turkey feels a sense of kinship towards them through its ethnicity and historic relationship with the Ottoman Empire. The largest population of Crimean Tatars, living outside of Crimea, is in Türkiye. Some of their community leaders were At hand When Zelensky launched a new Ukrainian embassy on Tuesday. The embassy will be led by Ukraine's Turkish ambassador and Crimean Tatar Neriman Seral.
“I would like to express my gratitude to my dear friend Zelensky for the brave measures taken for the rights of my Crimean Tatar compatriots, who have been particularly struggling with the integrity of Ukraine’s territory. I said on tuesday.
Rustem Umerov, the current Ukraine defense minister, is also a Crimean Tatar. In front of him Tap As Minister of Defense in September 2023, he was a longtime adviser to the leadership of Crimean Tatars and representative of Qurultay, an asylum in the Crimean Tatar parliament.
Meanwhile, the Russians are somehow angry at the Crimean Tatars, which were assigned to the Ottoman Empire. Burn Moscow In 1571, the Crimeans were operating protective rackets using the scary mount raider at that time. The rapidly expanding kingdom based in Moscow refused to pay, and things became a little out of hand.
Russia repeatedly invaded Crimea in the 1770s, before the canate collapsed in the 1770s. At that point, Catherine II attempted to annex all of the Tatar territory, wiped out their culture, kicking off the long history of the Crimean Tatars, not under Russian rule.
International Human Rights Organizations explain Since Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014, Crimean Tatars as victims of serious cultural and religious oppression have banned Russians from the language and culture of the Tatars (and Ukraine) in their occupied territory. , forced exchanges and made sustained efforts to destroy the Crimean Tatar culture. Tatar residents for Russian settlers.
These ethnic, religious and historical ties help explain why Erdogan became a candid advocate for Zelensky. Erdogan may also see the queue between the US and Ukraine as an opportunity to build a bridge in the European Union (EU). This is infuriating President Donald Trump for criticizing Zelensky with harsh words and negotiating directly with Russia without involving Europeans. Or Ukrainians.
Turkey is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO); I'm eager to participate The EU has been struggling with set-up processes since it began in 2005, but teaming up with Ukraine may just break the ice, which had become quite thick when Erdogan took it. phone A few years ago, most European leaders were “Nazis” and “Nazis.”
“Given the threat of lowering troops stationed in Europe, Turkey's contribution will become increasingly essential to the safety and stability of the continent,” says Amanda Paul, senior analyst at the European Policy Centre. I said Türkiye's Anadolu Agency News Service on Friday.
“For the past 73 years, Turkey has been an important and important member of the alliance,” Paul said. Rough patch The rest of NATO I was wondering If Turkey is worth the trouble.
“This was one of the top five contributors to NATO missions and operations in Europe and elsewhere, including Afghanistan and Iraq. Unlike many other NATO countries, Türkiye has invested in the military. “We've continued, and this is NATO's second largest permanent army, after the US, which has modern weapons,” she said of Turkey.
Unlike Turkey, Paul said that “many European countries are inadequate in military capabilities” because “for years, they have failed to invest in their security.” If the Trump administration is pulled back from European defense, Paul says that it is “incredibly myopia” for Europeans to keep Turkey from mutual defense projects, as Turkey only has the muscles that make a difference in the short term. He insisted.
“If you're talking about European military, it's clear that Turkey should be at the table. I think it's a mistake to leave Turkey behind. It's certainly a new evolution in the war, a drone, etc. Once that happens, Turkey is far ahead,” agreed Professor Koert Debeuf of the Brussels Governance School.
“Washington's dramatic policy shift will serve as an incentive for EU countries to cooperate more, and for new strategic partners such as Turkey and the UK to play a bigger role, which is what Ukraine and Europe has to do with it. It applies to both the procurement and production contexts,” added Samuel Doberg Westerby, director of the European Council of Neighborhoods.
“Washington has little interest in European security architecture, making Turkey even more important to NATO. The threat comes from the Black Sea from the Mediterranean in ways that would have been unimaginable several decades ago. ” Vesterbye said.
In the operation of Türkiye Daily mackerel Friday, businessman and academic Ihsan Aktas Discussed Trump's lack of will to support weak European states has led to a turkey moment in the world's diplomatic stage.
When the Ukraine-Russia war began, Turkish opposition had a great influence, and in their view it appeared as if they had already won the general election in Turkey. At the start of the war, opposition leader and then chairman of the People's Party of the Republican Party (CHP) of the opposition, Kemal Kirchidarowl, and then Chairman of the Good Party (IP) of the IP, Meral Akshana, should coordinate with NATO as soon as possible. I issued a statement calling for it. The S-400 is to abandon the imaginary foreign policy rhetoric and manage this war in harmony with NATO.
Today, in an exclusive interview with Turkish news channel A Haber, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan revealed an important point, in my opinion, summarizing the entire war in one sentence. Russia. “
Turkey adopted a balanced stance in the Ukraine-Russian War and proposed a fair resolution. Erdogan outlined a framework that emphasizes that even the worst peace is superior to the best war.
The “S-400” mentioned by Aktas is a dangerous Russian-made surface-to-air missile system that made Turkish purchases infuriated the rest of NATO, particularly as Turkey was part of the F-35 Fighter Jet programme. , it's finished. It owns both Russia's most deadly missiles and planes designed to fire down those missiles. Turkey got caught up Kick out Of the F-35 programs, the US is Convinced Türkiye has since removed the S-400 missile.
As explained by Acta, Turkish approach to negotiating the end of the Ukrainian war sounds very much like Trump's bid to negotiate a peace deal. Aktas denounced Europeans for hampering Turkish diplomatic efforts and “leaving Ukraine away from negotiations.”
“The decision to come to Turkey shows his desire to hear his voice on a fair and fair platform and communicate it through the hands of accurate and powerful leaders,” concluded Acta.
Deutsche Welle (DW) Not very enthusiastic Regarding Erdogan's diplomatic influence on Friday, it suggests that Turkish leader Zelensky's exaggerated embrace is an act of despair on his part.
Looking ahead, local analysts said dw Turkey can play an important role if the negotiated end of the Ukrainian conflict includes European peacekeeping forces along the redrawn Ukrainian-Russian border. European Defense Forces.
Erdogan may also be looking forward to Turkey becoming a big player in the Black Sea. Russia must use it for supply and trade to its occupied Ukrainian territory. Turkey recently signed an agreement with Romania and Bulgaria to begin removing mines laid along the Black Sea coast during the war.
