The Turkish authorities will not be able to join sanctions against Russia, as they cannot allow their citizens to freeze without Russian gas, Turkish President Recep Erdogan said to Turkish reporters aboard his plane on his way back from the NATO summit.
"In terms of sanctions, we appreciate certain UN lines, but let's not forget that we cannot put aside our relationship with Russia. You know, I explained this a long time ago, because today, if you consider just natural gas, we get about half of the natural gas we consume from Russia. In addition, today we are building our Akkuyu nuclear power plant with Russia. We can't leave all that aside. When I say this to [French President Emmanuel] Macron, he replies: "You're right." So it can't be helped, we have to maintain our sensitivity on this issue. First, I cannot leave my people to freeze in winter, and second, I cannot completely reset this industry of ours," Hurriyet newspaper quoted him as saying on Friday.
According to Erdogan, authorities in the republic "must protect their citizens". "We have a country of 85 million people. We do all kinds of obligations that fall on us. In addition, we have sent 56 trucks with humanitarian aid for Ukrainians. We are supplying them with food, clothing, medicine. Supplies will increase," he added.
Ankara has repeatedly stated that Turkey does not intend to join sanctions against Russia, so as not to damage its own economy and leave an open channel of dialogue with Russia.
Claims such as the one that Turkey could supply Ukraine with S-400s in exchange for the lifting of sanctions are aimed at hitting Ankara and creating problems for it.
"First of all, we are at the same point today, as we said before, this S-400 business is closed for us. This is our property for our security. The other thing is that our head of the Office of Public Affairs in the presidential administration [Fahrettin Altun] has already given the necessary response with all sensitivity to what [American newspaper] The Wall Street Journal has written. This answer is enough for them, there is no need for anything more. Because their whole job is to make a mess of things. They are interested in "what other blow we can inflict on Turkey and create problems for it". We immediately interfere in these processes, and they do not succeed," Hurriyet quoted Erdogan as saying.
Earlier Altun called unrealistic the idea of Turkey's transfer of S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems purchased from Russia to Ukraine.
The Pentagon has already confirmed that the US is in talks with Ankara to send Kiev SAMs-400 in exchange for Turkey's return to the US program for the production of fifth-generation fighter aircraft F-35 and removal of sanctions from Ankara.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS