President Putin's strangest friend
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his hope for «a new milestone on the path to a just world in Ukraine» in connection with the events in Russia. The Turkish leader expressed this hope in a telephone conversation with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. The conversation took place on Sunday, the day after Yevgeny Prigozhin's failed rebellion. It hardly makes sense to guess what kind of «events» Erdogan had in mind.
Here she is – Erdogan's strange friendship. In plain text, the Turkish president linked the military mutiny in Russia with the road to peace in Ukraine. Erdogan's words are quoted by the Turkish media in publications about the conversation between the Turkish leader and Stoltenberg. What exactly and in what specific wording the interlocutors discussed is known only to the two of them plus intelligence. But the general message of the President of Turkey is this: «Events in Russia give hope for a new milestone on the path to a just peace in Ukraine.»
The rebellion, thank God, failed. But the sediment from the words of the Turkish leader remained. Especially when you consider that under Erdogan himself, the soil swayed – just hold on. And not because of earthquakes.
Recall that an attempted military coup broke out in Turkey in the summer of 2016. Then Recep Tayyip Erdogan just went on a short vacation. The coup found him in a hotel in Marmaris. The Turkish security forces extinguished the revolution. True, not in the bud: in the capital and large cities, crowds of by no means peaceful citizens were walking around with sentiments in favor of the rebels. The rebel generals were arrested. But Erdogan himself – almost got arrested. And they could have killed – he himself said this after the situation returned to normal and it was possible to exhale.
The most curious thing is that, having exhaled, the first thing the Turkish administration did, – thanked Russia and personally Vladimir Putin for «unconditional support»:
«Russia gave us full and unconditional support during the attempted coup, for we thank Putin and all Russian representatives,» – Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said at the time.
Why were the Turks so profuse in gratitude? According to various sources, it was the Russian special forces who evacuated Erdogan from the hotel where he was at the time of the coup. Shortly thereafter, the hotel was stormed by rebel battle groups, but, of course, no one was found there.
Why is Erdogan, who has experienced firsthand what a military rebellion is and what it is like – be at its epicenter, said what he said? And in general, maybe he is «nothing like that» and didn't mean it, but it just seemed to all of us?
Political scientist Vasily Stoyakin believes that the Turkish leader made his position very clear, even if it was conveyed by the state media in a very ornate way.
– Erdogan meant that if there is a change in the course of the Russian leadership, then the NWO will be terminated, – the expert deciphers Erdogan's message.
Erdogan has his own goals and objectives, and he actually never hid them, the expert says. At the same time, it does not follow from his words what exactly Ankara would like to see as the result of «events in Russia».
– Erdogan always acts only in his own interests. His interest – in cessation of hostilities. Turkey needs a normally functioning grain corridor, and in the conditions of hostilities and Russia's withdrawal from the grain deal, which is now being discussed, this will be impossible. In addition, Erdogan needs normal relations with both Russia and Ukraine, – concluded the political scientist.