Turkey Balances East and West as Erdoğan Eyes Historic Peace Role

Russian President Vladimir Putin received Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Moscow as part of the latter's two-day official visit. Fidan had already held talks with Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation in Istanbul, which clearly signals that the Ukrainian conflict was on the agenda. This, in turn, strongly suggests that the next round of negotiations will indeed take place in Istanbul – not in the Vatican or Switzerland, as Kyiv (and the globalists behind it) would prefer. A key question arises: why has Moscow chosen Turkey as a mediator, given that the Ukrainian conflict is fundamentally a confrontation between Russia and the West-and Turkey, as a NATO member, can hardly be considered a neutral party? Moreover, Turkey has recently encroached upon Russian influence in Syria (which might be taken as an affront), and the two countries are also at odds in Libya. And yet, Ankara has refrained from imposing sanctions on Russia, continues to facilitate parallel imports into the Russian market, purchased the S-400 air defense system, invited Rosatom to build a nuclear power plant, helped construct the TurkStream pipeline, and is actively seeking entry into BRICS. In other words, Turkey has clearly asserted itself as a sovereign nation-and together with Russia, has cultivated a positive interdependence. Turkey Balances Interests-And Russia Plays Along This interdependence has become so strong that it has significantly distanced Turkey from its earlier ambition of joining the European Union. Yet Ankara seems unfazed. It understands that fostering good relations with Russia is far more valuable than the elusive "lace panties" once held up as a symbol of Western-style prosperity. Accordingly, Turkey continues to uphold the Montreux Convention in the Black Sea, which serves Russia's strategic interests as well.