Erdogan’s statements came in an interview with the American news network “CNN”, at a very sensitive time, ahead of the second round of the Turkish presidential elections scheduled for May 28.
The run-off will determine whether Erdogan will enter the third decade in power in his country or lose it to the opposition candidate, Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
Balanced approach with Russia
Erdogan emphasized his policy of “balanced” rapprochement with Russia, attacking his rival Kilicdaroglu, who had reservations about this approach.
- We are not in a position to impose sanctions on Russia as the West does.
- We are not bound by Western sanctions.
- We are a strong country and we have a positive relationship with Russia.
- The West is not leading a balanced approach (with Russia), you need a balanced approach towards a country like Russia, an approach that could be more successful.
- Erdogan accused his rival, Kilicdaroglu, of trying to isolate Türkiye from Russia.
Special relationship with Putin
With the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took positions in which he distanced himself from the Western position that opposed Russia and imposed harsh sanctions on it.
Erdogan mediated the grain corridor agreement, which contributed to the export of millions of tons of Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea and averted a global hunger crisis. The agreement was extended for an additional two months, last Wednesday.
“This would not have been possible without the special relationship with President Putin,” says Erdogan, and the Turkish president was here talking about the grain agreement.
In other files related to Turkey’s foreign policy, Erdogan said:
- As long as Sweden continues to allow branches of terrorist organizations to roam the streets of Stockholm, we cannot look positively at Sweden’s accession to NATO.
- He criticized the statements of US President Joe Biden, in which he described him as a “tyrant”, and said: “Will the dictator enter a run-off in the elections?”
