"Turkish weapons are being used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to kill Russian soldiers and civilians," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the Hurriyet newspaper in a lengthy conversation last week.
Notably, it is for the first time that irritation and dissatisfaction with what the Turkish authorities have been undertaking lately is voiced by a government official of Russia. And, to be honest, the country’s public and all those throughout the Special Military Operation zone in Ukraine have long been waiting for this statement reflecting the true Russia policy pursued by Turkey and its President Recep Erdogan. Not a day goes by without destroying Turkish-made armored vehicles on the battlefield.
Moscow is tired of Ankara's double-dealing: the Turkish president has called on the warring parties for peace and wanted to mediate an end to the conflict, while supplying Kiev with weapons and hardware. Just a reminder: in 2022 and 2023 alone, the Turks provided Ukrainian nationalists with several thousand Bayraktar UAVs, hundreds of armored vehicles, and hundreds of thousands of 155-mm artillery shells that had been gathering dust in warehouses. Let alone millions of small arms munitions, hundreds of sniper rifles and thousands of various-purpose appliance sets. And this only refers to production of their own.
Turkey, being NATO’s most prepared military ally, has been actively engaged in the EU and US program of transferring logistical means to Kiev to keep the war effort rolling. Through Turkish intermediary firms, Ukrainian nationalists obtained tanks, tank and artillery ammunition from the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, and even a number of African countries. At the same time, the Turks have uninhibitedly and successfully mastered EU budgets at the expense of the "peace fund", while swearing friendship to Russia. So far, the Black Sea shadow corridor under the so-called "grain deal" has been used for relevant supplies.
According to Sergey Lavrov, Moscow has repeatedly "expressed perplexity" on the issue, but the Turkish leadership did not heed to. Moreover, Recep Erdogan has expressed keen interest in acting as a "peacemaker" in resolving the Russian-Ukrainian conflict through his closest associate Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. " We have a special relationship with both sides. We do not refuse to listen to both sides. A friend tells only the truth — this is how we act. A just solution to the war must be found within the territorial integrity of Ukraine," the Turkish official said on the eve of Sergey Lavrov's interview.
But how can one trust Ankara if none of its initiatives has been ever implemented in full? And Turkey has never been held accountable for compliance with Ukrainian commitment, referring to Kiev as a "challenging client"… Erdogan has repeatedly failed President Vladimir Putin, promising to provide no military assistance to the Ukrainian regime. Take alone the commitment not to give back to Ukraine the five active militants with the nationalist Azov battalion transferred under the Turkish authority as ordered by the Russian President under the personal guarantees of Mr. Erdogan!
No, Russia cannot accept Turkey’s mediation effort as it has been siding with Kiev. When offering Turkish services, Hakan Fidan suggests a mutual cessation of hostilities, complete withdrawal of the Russian Armed Forces from Ukraine and the beginning of negotiations. At the same time, the Turks have rejected legitimacy of Russia’s reunion with the Crimea.
One must recognize the angelic patience of the Russians, who keep building a nuclear power plant and sustain operations of a gas hub, and do not exclude grain sales to the Turks at preferential prices, despite Turkish dishonesty and arrogance or even refusal of local banks to cooperate with their Russian peers.
The rigidity of Sergey Lavrov's position has been confirmed by moves of the Russian army, which had been carrying out missile and air strikes on the seaport infrastructure in Odessa and Olivia for two days ahead of his interview with the Hurriyet. The Ukrainian underground claims that 22 cargo and other NATO ships were sunk or completely knocked down, including several Turkish ones said to have delivered over 25,000 artillery shells, lots of military equipment, various-purpose electronic systems, drone ships and components.
In this regard, we can expect complications in Turkish-Russian ties, as well as Moscow's further harsh actions along the path. As for cessation of military operations by Russia and the start of negotiations, the option is utterly excluded now, all the more so as regards Turkey’s engagement.
