Russia-Türkiye Relations: A Win-Win Deal

The September 4 summit in Sochi between the leaders of Russia and Türkiye brought many benefits to both sides.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan (left) and his host counterpart Vladimir Putin during a meeting in Sochi, Russia on September 4. (Source: Reuters)

Take the initiative

First of all , for Russia, the Sochi meeting once again proves that the country cannot be completely isolated from the West. This has been repeatedly confirmed, through the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of March, and the Russia-Africa Summit in July. The rumored visit of North Korean President Kim Jong Un to Vladivostok in September, and Putin's visit to China, possibly in October, further reinforce this.

In addition , the Kremlin chief's exchange with the leader of a member country of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is Russia's way of affirming that it is always ready for dialogue. This is how the country has tried to build its image since the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out.

Finally , the meeting with Turkey, a stakeholder in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, was an opportunity for the Russian president to send a message to the West: “We are ready to consider reviving the grain deal and I told the president (Erdogan) again today: We will do this as long as all the provisions on lifting restrictions on Russian agricultural exports are completely lifted.”

President Putin denied that Russia had “initiated” the food crisis by suspending its participation in the grain deal, as prices did not rise due to the decision of the White Birch country. He stressed: “It is the West that has been constantly trying to prevent Russian grain and fertilizer supplies from reaching world markets.”

In addition, the Russian President reiterated plans to supply 1 million tons of barley at preferential prices for processing in Türkiye and shipping to other countries. He said that Russia is “very close” to an agreement to supply free barley to six African countries: Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Central African Republic and Eritrea, each of which will receive 50,000 tons. In other words, Russia wants to show that it is contributing to global food security, but Ukraine and the West are hindering such efforts.

Affirming position

What about Türkiye?

First, the meeting once again reflected the stance of continuing to maintain balanced relations with both Russia and Ukraine, ensuring national interests. Ankara and Moscow are close to an agreement to send one million tons of Russian grain to Turkey for processing and export. At the meeting, Mr. Putin and Mr. Erdogan continued to discuss the construction of a “gas export center” from the birch country.

Meanwhile, Ankara continues to maintain good relations with Kiev. In July, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made his first visit to Ankara since the conflict with Russia broke out. However, before that, he had spoken to his Turkish counterpart several times on the phone about peace efforts. Ankara also supports Kiev's early membership in NATO.

Notably, this relationship is evident on the ground. The Bayrakhtar TB-2 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) produced by the Turkish company Baykar played an important role for the Ukrainian Armed Forces (VSU) in the early stages of the conflict. At its peak, Ukraine owned up to 50 of them. Baykar plans to complete construction of its factory in Ukraine by the end of 2024, moving towards supplying the improved Bayrakhtar TB3 model with better take-off capabilities on various types of terrain.

Second, with good relations with both Moscow and Kiev, Ankara is in a favorable position to mediate the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Up to now, although it has not been successful due to many subjective and objective reasons, Turkey has still managed to make its mark when it, together with the United Nations, Russia and Ukraine, built the Black Sea Grain Initiative. The agreement temporarily solves the global "thirst" for food due to the supply being interrupted by military activities.

With the recent meeting, Ankara clearly demonstrated its role as a "bridge" between Moscow, Kiev and the West, something that not many countries have been able to do so far.

Third, Turkey's active resumption of the agreement has earned it international recognition. Speaking immediately after his meeting with Mr. Putin, Mr. Erdogan said that Turkey is in close contact with the United Nations to resume the agreement. Immediately afterward, in a phone call with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also mentioned the above important agreement.

Speaking on September 4, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said: “Türkiye’s efforts to get the deal back on track are important.” The US State Department stated: “We welcome the efforts of Türkiye and other countries to persuade Russia to return to the Black Sea grain deal. We are working with the United Nations and Turkey to restore this initiative.”

Recognition of Türkiye's international contributions, particularly in the field of food security, is important in the context of its troubled relations with the West, with Ankara remaining outside the European Union (EU).

Thus, the meeting in Sochi contributes to expressing Russia's stance and at the same time strengthens Türkiye's position in the current volatile situation.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/quan-he-nga-tho-nhi-ky-loi-ca-doi-ben-241147.html