Turkey, Russia tread cautious line over Ukraine
As the conflict between Russia and the West heats up, Ankara and Moscow are finding their neighborly relationship ever more challenging to maintain.
Turkey is on edge as developments in Ukraine continue to unfold and escalate dangerously in ways that point to a serious crisis between Russia and the West, one reminiscent of the Cold War. Ankara finds itself caught in a delicate situation between its commitments toward NATO allies and responsibilities in the Black Sea toward Russia as a result of the Montreux Convention, which regulates traffic in the Turkish straits.
While refusing to accept Russia’s fait accompli in Crimea, which is also home to a large community of Turkic Tatars traditionally wary of Russian intentions, Ankara has generally been mute in its criticism of Moscow in comparison with its NATO allies.
This reticence is due not only to its vast economic cooperation with Russia and equally vast dependence on Russian gas to meet its energy requirements but also to the simple fact that Russia is a superpower on its border, with whom careful relations have to be maintained.
From the start of the Crimean crisis, Turkey has stressed the importance of maintaining the territorial integrity of Ukraine. Ankara, however, has reacted coolly to the idea of sanctions against Moscow. Tellingly, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu stated to the pro-government TV-Net in a March 18 interview that being a member of NATO does not necessarily require a confrontation with Russia.
