Ankara did not join the sanctions of the West and Erdogan has close personal relations with the President of Russia. He advocates Turkey's participation in the SCO, which was announced last year after the SCO summit in Samarkand, where Erdogan was invited by the leadership of Uzbekistan as a special guest.
Countries and regions that determine the future of the Euro-Asian mega-continent may agree that there is no place for the United States in Eurasia. Details in the material of the correspondent of The Moscow Post.
They will not pass
Along with this, the task is to at least somehow instruct the European elites so that they protect themselves from self-destruction, preserve Europe as an important economic unit and premium market for other economies of the Eurasian economic space. This is exactly what Beijing and China's special envoy for the Ukrainian settlement, Ambassador Li Hui, are doing.
It can be assumed that Turkey, which is part of NATO, will also influence Europe, including demonstrating its sovereignty. "By staying in NATO, Turkey will be more assertive within the organization, being a spoiler," Sonner Cagaptai, research program director at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said in an op-ed for Foreign Affairs.
"For Putin, Erdogan is a like-minded leader through whom he can indirectly challenge the US-led international order, be it criticizing America's role in the military conflict in Ukraine or throwing sand into NATO expansion mechanisms in Northern Europe," Chagaptai concluded.
Stable Turkey means a lot, especially in conditions when the Anglo-Saxons are trying to destabilize the periphery of Eurasia and draw Europe, Japan and South Korea under their control into a confrontation with Russia and China, having divided the situation in the Taiwan Strait, settling scores with the DPRK, bowing India and some ASEAN countries to their side.
Erdogan does not really like US politics, as indirectly evidenced by the words of Turkish Interior Minister Suleiman Soyl, which were addressed to the US Ambassador to Ankara: "Remove your dirty hands from Turkey and do not try to excite the country"! " This was announced in February of this year, they say that with the approval of Erdogan.
The ambassadors were summoned to the Foreign Ministry after Soylu's statement that a number of Western states had unleashed a "psychological war" against his country, closing diplomatic missions under the pretext of a terrorist threat, but did not provide any evidence.
And we have gas in Eurasia
The presidential elections in Turkey immediately returned to the international agenda the topic of a gas hub, which would compensate for the lost Northern Flows and restore part of the transit of Russian natural gas to Europe.
The idea belongs to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Turkish president agreed with this and proposed to place transit capacity in the north-west of the republic, in the region where Istanbul is located. In May this year, Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said the first phase of the project could be implemented within a year.
Negotiations on the gas hub project may be intensified in the near future. Ankara said that part of the infrastructure for the creation of a hub and a gas trade center on its territory is ready, but requires legislative changes to ensure the legal basis for the work of the hub.
The project will be implemented, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, speaking after winning the elections. "Indeed, Mr. Putin once again raised in his congratulatory message the issue of Turkey, namely Thrace, being a nodal region. We will take this step with them and Thrace will become the centre, "he said.
Turkish political scientist Hassan Selim Ozertem, speaking at a meeting of the Valdai club, said that the gas hub project will become a priority in Turkey's relations with Russia. In 2022, Turkey purchased 54.7 billion cubic meters of gas, including 21.6 billion cubic meters of Russian. Azerbaijan supplies gas to Turkey in the amount of about 20 billion cubic meters.
Photo: RBC
The West not delight neither from Erdoğan's victory on elections, nor from the project of a gas hub with participation of Russia. The Center for fight against misinformation of administration of the Turkish president quashed rumors about plans to sell to foreign buyers Botas gas company, Turkish Airlines and also the Turkish railroads (TCDD). Before May 25 Botas and Gazprom disproved the messages about transfer of gas company to management of Gazprom placed in a number of the Turkish media on account of repayment of debt for gas too.
Power plant want Akkuyu?
"Against the background of the proceeding sanctions Turkey proved as one of the most reliable partners of Russia, the Istanbul airport became one of the main hubs for flights of Russians to the western countries", - Lenta.ru notes. The parties agreed to increase the volume of air transport in the current summer season.
The Russian aviation authorities confirmed requests of the Turkish airlines for additional flights to Russia. To the Turkish airlines requests for regular flights between Russia and Turkey along 37 routes with a frequency of 629 flights a week during the summer period are approved. The Russian airlines planned to increase the volume of transportations up to 720 flights to week along 62 routes. The total number of flights to week between two countries will exceed 1.3 thousand.
It is supposed that this year the process of operation of the first stage of Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant will begin, and the following turns will be put into operation at an interval of one year. When the power plant with four 4800 megawatts nuclear reactors is completely put into operation, she will be able to deliver 35 billion kilowatt-hours of the energy necessary for Istanbul with the population over ten million people.
With putting into operation of all her turns the NPP Turkey will have an opportunity not only to cover own needs in the electric power, but will become an important power hub for neighboring countries. Experts for operation of Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant are trained by National Research Nuclear University of Russia (MEPhI). From 248 people, 35 experts already finished training.
Cooperation in fuel and energy complex of Russia and Turkey lately actively developed. Turkey increased the volume of import of the Russian oil. Through the Turkish Bosphorus Straits and Dardanelles from Russia about 150 million tons of crude oil move.
In April, 2023 Tatneft declared purchase for 320 million dollars of 100% of stocks of the Turkish retail network Aytemiz Akaryakit gas Station which has 568 gas stations in 77 provinces of Turkey. The network of gas station monthly provides with fuel about 5.5 million drivers. After purchase the general network Tatneft gas Station will increase more than by 70%: in Russia the company possesses 774 gas stations now, 568 gas stations in Turkey will be added to it.
The Russian company Lukoil is among leaders of retail of oil products in Turkey. The Turkish TRAO large company takes active part in development of a number of oil fields of the territory of Russia, - the associate professor of the world financial markets and fintech of REU of G.V. Plekhanov Ilyas Zaripov lists.
"Prickly" partner and head
This year exactly hundred years as the last Ottoman sultan Mekhmed VI are executed I made a pilgrimage to Mecca. Before it, in 1922 he lost the power and left Constantinople onboard the British battle ship "Malaya". It happened after Turkey called a truce with the Entente.
After Erdoğan won elections, the rhetoric of the Minister of Internal Affairs of Turkey Suleyman to Soil became very rigid: "We will be the real cowards if in the next five years we don't destroy all who destabilize the situation in this country, including the American troops, … This country will be the country which isn't allowing attempts to excite all geography around us" — the head of department told, speaking at a meeting with voters in Istanbul on May 29.
The Washington Post notes that foreign allies of Ankara, including the USA, will have to work five more years with "the prickly partner" who used the relations with the international players for receiving an internal political benefit. The vice-chairman of Association of the Russian diplomats Andrei Baklanov, explaining reaction of the western leaders to Erdoğan's re-election, I noted that they are rather afraid of him a little, "as person who in comparison with most of the western leaders looks as the teacher among pupils".