Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left) claims to have a special relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but Turkiye tends to be pro-Kyiv in the Russia-Ukraine war. Photo/REUTERS
JAKARTA – President Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been touting his special relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He took advantage of his claims of closeness to the Kremlin leader during his presidential election campaign—which he won—to gain the support of an anti-Western electorate.
When the Russo-Ukrainian war broke out on February 24, 2022, Erdoğan presented himself as a neutral leader—in contrast to NATO allies who were busy supporting Ukraine by supplying weapons.
Turkiye, also unlike NATO countries, has opted not to impose sanctions on Russia.
However, during the Russo-Ukrainian war, Turkiye’s policies were actually pro-Kyiv, including the weapons manufacturer that supplied Bayraktar TB2 drones at the start of the war.
3 Erdoğan’s ‘betrayal’ to Putin in the Russo-Ukrainian War
1. Supplying Bayraktar TB2 drones to Ukraine
2023-07-14 12:55:56
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