Sunday’s Zaman, Turkey
Aug 9 2009
A decade under Putin makes Russia strategic partner for Turkey
Vladimir Putin’s leadership in Russia over the last decade has marked
unprecedented improvement in Turkish-Russian relations. The collapse
of the Soviet Union resulted not in competition between the two
countries, but instead ever-growing cooperation.
Russia and Turkey, possessing similar historical statehood experiences
and striving to redefine their role in a broader region has not yet,
surprisingly, resulted in competition. Turkey’s considerable
dependence on Russia has encouraged Turkey not to confront the country
and made it consider Russia’s national interests in the formulation of
its foreign policy. Being a driving force of the Soviet Union, Russia
had considered Turkey a threat throughout the Cold War. After the
demise of the Soviet Union, Turkey and Russia did not enjoy very good
relations until Putin. Both countries had fallen into deep economic
recession and domestic obstacles hindered the development of
constructive and cooperative foreign policy between two countries.
Turkey’s attempt to create a sphere-of-influence in Turkic countries
in the Caucasus and Central Asia contradicted Russia’s national
interests. Although Russia’s relationship with NATO was not as
confrontational at the time as it was after Putin took power, Russia
and Turkey were still unable to build good relations. Geopolitical
competition, however, did not halt their developing economic
cooperation. Turkey’s increasing trade with Russia marked one of the
few cases in the world of cooperation between two regional
leaders. Russia, in fact, considered the introduction of Western
values a threat to its economic and political interests in its
neighborhood. As a result, Russia took advantage of any available
method to strengthen its economy. Turkey became a promising partner
for Russia.
Before Putin’s rise to power in 1999, succeeding pro-Western Russian
President Boris Yeltsin, the man who put an end to the Soviet Union,
Turkey and Russia did not exchange many significant top-level
visits. A notable exception was then-Russian Prime Minister Viktor
Chernomyrdin’s visit to Turkey in 1997. Following this visit, a series
of high-level visits created fertile ground for cooperation and
partnership between Turkey and Russia. Another remarkable visit from
the Turkish side was then-Turkish Prime Minister Bülent
Ecevit’s visit to Russia in 1999. This was a turning point for the
Russian-Turkish partnership. Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an paid a
historical visit to Moscow in 2002, right after his party’s election
in a landslide victory. A year later, Turkish-American relations
worsened due to Turkey’s rejection of a package that would have
allowed the US military to use Turkish soil to launch an operation in
northern Iraq. The shaken relations between
Turkey and the US for the first time in five decades marked a turning
point in Turkish-Russian relations. Hardliner Putin regarded Turkey as
a trustworthy partner in securing itself against American
expansion. One year later, Putin visited Turkey, the first visit of a
Russian head of state in 32 years. Then-Soviet Union Chairman Nikolay
Podgorny’s visit in 1973 had been the last of its kind. Two months
later, Prime Minister ErdoÄ?an organized a one-day visit to
Russia. Turkish-Russian relations achieved unprecedented growth in the
first half of 2009 as five top level visits have occurred in the last
six months.
Russia’s massive trade surplus with Turkey was also unprecedented. The
annual trade volume between Turkey and Russia has reached nearly $40
billion. Russia is Turkey’s biggest trade partner, and Turkey is
Russia’s fifth-largest trade partner. Turkey imports 67 percent of its
energy from Russia. Nearly 3 million Russian tourists visit Turkey
annually out of a total of 17 million tourists that come to the
country.
Russian-Turkish relations did not deteriorate during the
Georgian-Russian war one year ago. Subsequent to the crisis last
August between Georgia and Russia over the disputed territory of South
Ossetia, a Georgian territory currently controlled by Russian military
forces, Russia became the subject of harsh attacks from the
international community and in particular from the US. Russia has been
found guilty of ignoring international norms and standards and using
disproportionate force against its neighbors. In an effort to respond
to all of these concerns and to try to redefine its role in the world,
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev delivered a speech outlining
Russia’s role in the world in late August 2008.
The so-called Medvedev Doctrine embodied the claims that Russia
respects international law and principles; that the world is not
unipolar but multipolar; that Russia will not isolate itself from the
world and will instead build favorable relations with other countries,
including the US; that Russia will support its citizens and business
interests wherever they are; and that Russia has privileged relations
with former Soviet republics. In this context, Russia’s relations with
Turkey are also noteworthy. Being a close ally of both Russia and
Georgia, Turkey’s stance during the August crisis satisfied
Russia. Medvedev expressed this during ErdoÄ?an’s visit to
Moscow. Russia thanked Turkey for maintaining balance during the
conflict.
Trying to position itself and contribute to the balance of power in
the South Caucasus, Turkey proposed the Caucasus Stability and
Cooperation Platform, including Russia. Turkey believes that the
project will be a platform for cooperation, which will eventually lead
to stability in the region. Azerbaijan was opposed to the platform due
to Armenia’s inclusion, and Russia also did not want to be involved as
Georgia was expected to be a member.
In an interview with Sunday’s Zaman, Turgut Gür, honorary chair
of the Russian-Turkish Business Council, said, `Putin visited Turkey
in December 2004, and a protocol on bilateral relations was signed
between the two countries.’ Emphasizing the considerable increase in
relations since then, Gür said, `Four-and-a-half years have
passed, and Turkish-Russian relations have become a multi-dimensional
partnership today.’ Russian Prime Minister Putin’s visit to Ankara was
also a reshuffling in terms of Turkey’s agreement to participate in
the South Stream gas pipeline, which has been seen as a rival of the
Nabucco pipeline, which Turkey is heavily involved in. Turkey’s desire
to help Russia guarantee its southern energy sphere is a new phase
that will bolster increasing Turkish-Russian relations.
09 August 2009, Sunday
MAHÄ°R ZEYNALOV Ä°STANBUL