Leading Turkish international security expert, Huseyin Bagci, head of Ankara's Global Advisory Group, has asserted that relations between Moscow and Ankara do not jeopardize NATO, despite Turkey's long-standing membership in the alliance. This assessment comes in response to the recent NATO summit in Washington, which focused on countering Russia and aiding Ukraine.
Bagci acknowledged the inherent tension between NATO and Russia, stating, "NATO's existence is inherently a threat to Russia, and the alliance also views the Russian Federation as a threat. However, Turkey's NATO membership doesn't automatically make it an enemy of Russia, nor does their relationship pose a risk to the alliance," he told TASS.
He highlighted the deep-rooted historical ties between Turkey and Russia, acknowledging periods of both cooperation and conflict. Following the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, both countries have leveraged the new possibilities to enhance their bilateral relations in the Black Sea region.
"NATO remains the largest military alliance globally. The dissolution of the Warsaw Pact in the 1990s saw most of Russia's former allies join NATO, an expansion that contradicts Russia's interests," Bagci stated. He cited Ukraine as a prime example, where Russia is exercising its perceived legal right to self-defense. Throughout the Ukrainian conflict, Turkey has maintained a balanced policy, fostering dialogue with both Russia and Ukraine. Turkey facilitated negotiations between the parties in Antalya and Istanbul in 2022, with a high probability of a second round of Istanbul talks.
“If Russia viewed NATO-aligned Turkey as a threat, it would not have built the Akkuyu nuclear power plant in Turkey or made various economic proposals. If President Vladimir Putin saw Turkey as a threat, there would not have been an agreement on the crucial 2022 grain initiative. Moreover, the presidents of Russia and Turkey communicate more frequently than any other world leaders, at least 12 times a year,” Bagci concluded.
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Photo: Moscow-Live/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS