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 Russia 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 leader 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 “triggered” the food crisis by suspending its participation in the grain deal, as prices had not increased due to Russia’s decision. He stressed: “It is the West that has been constantly trying to block 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, the 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.
Asserting position
So 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. During the meeting, Mr. Putin and Mr. Erdogan continued to discuss the construction of a “gas export center” from Russia.
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, he had previously 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) manufactured by the Turkish company Baykar played an important role for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (VSU) in the early stages of the conflict. At its peak, Ukraine possessed 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 solved the global "thirst" for food due to the supply disruption caused 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 after that, in a phone call with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also mentioned the important agreement mentioned above.
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 Türkiye to revive this initiative.”
Recognition of Türkiye's international contributions, especially in the field of food security, is important amid the country's troubled relations with the West, with Ankara remaining outside the European Union (EU).
Thus, the meeting in Sochi contributes to expressing Russia's stance, while strengthening Türkiye's position in the current volatile situation.
Source
Comment (0)