Animosity for the West drives Erdogan, Putin closer
Russia’s political difficulties with the United States and Europe provide what appears at first sight to be a windfall for Turkey.
Turkey and Russia may be on different pages on issues like Syria and Crimea, but Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to be successful in opening up the “new horizons” in ties between the two countries that he promised prior to his recent visit to Ankara.
The international isolation in which the two countries increasingly find themselves over a host of issues is also pushing Moscow and Ankara closer. The personal chemistry between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Putin is another contributing factor.
The two leaders have similar attitudes toward democracy and freedom, compounded by their shared suspicion — bordering on enmity at times — of the United States and Europe. They have made it more than apparent in recent speeches that they have serious axes to grind with the West.
Turkish-Russia ties took an unexpected turn during Putin’s one-day visit to Ankara for the fourth meeting of the High Level Cooperation Council, which was established in May 2010, and which once again appeared more like a joint Cabinet meeting with no fewer than 10 ministers on either side of the table.
