Putin’s
‘Strategic’ Visit to Turkey to Help Moscow, Ankara Bring Peace to Syria
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Sputnik/ Michael Klimentyev
POLITICS 14:38 09.10.2016Get short URL 016500
Russian President Vladimir Putin is
scheduled to visit Turkey for the first time since the relations between two
nations soured following the downing of a Russian bomber over Syria by a
Turkish fighter jet.
On October 10 Russian President Vladimir Putin is
expected to meet with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and
to deliver a speech at the World Energy Congress, which is being held
in Istanbul.
The two leaders will discuss the current events in the Middle East and
in Syria, as well as bilateral relations between Turkey and
Russia and joint energy projects, including the potential revival of the
suspended Turkish Stream natural gas pipeline. Ahmet Berat Çonkar, Turkish MP
and member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) told Sputnik
that Putin’s visit to Turkey after the two countries managed
to overcome the crisis in bilateral relations is a momentous event
of great strategic importance.
"Right now there’s a process
of making alliances and making decisions regarding the balance
of power going on in our region. The humanitarian situation
in Syria has become intolerable, and we must put an end to the
bloodshed and destruction. As a representative of the Turkish side, I
believe that we and Russia should overcome the difference of opinions
regarding this issue. By conducting its (military) operation, Turkey has shown
that it greatly values Russia’s stance on the fight against Daesh.
Turkey displays its unwavering determination to battle radical terrorist
groups that pose the biggest concern to Russia. And I hope that Russia,
being aware of that fact, will treat Turkey’s approach to the Syrian
issue with greater understanding, and will adhere to a balanced
policy which supports the process of political transition," Çonkar
said.
He added that hopefully everything will occur according to his
predictions, as Russia and Turkey must simply overcome the current crisis.
"The Middle Eastern region is our
region; the events that transpire here directly affect both Russia and Turkey.
Radicalization and instability here have a negative impact on Russia,
Turkey and on the region as a whole. Therefore, I believe that
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit will help bring Russia and Turkey
together in search of a way to resolve the Syrian issue,"
he said.
All in all, Çonkar remarked,
despite a certain difference in opinions about how the Syrian
conflict should be resolved, Russia and Turkey can still cooperate on this
issue, while the mistakes committed by the US in the Middle East are
plain for all to see.
"I believe that the growing
strategic rapprochement between Russia and Turkey will also have a certain
positive influence on the US approach to the Syrian issue. We are
regional players, nations that spent millennia building close relations
in this area and know the region from the inside out. The United
States, however, is a new player in the region, and has already committed
mistakes that made many problems here even more difficult to solve. We can
see it everywhere in the region – in Iraq, Syria, Libya and
in Yemen. We can see that the US failed to contribute
to resolving the problem. In that regard, by adhering to a joint
strategy for resolving the Syrian crisis, Turkey and Russia may nudge the
US to help preserve stability in the region," Çonkar explained.
He insisted that it is imperative that Turkey and Russia reach an agreement
on the political transition process in Syria, and develop a joint
approach to dealing with organizations that threaten the stability
of the war-torn nation. He added that the countries that play a decisive
role in this process are Turkey, Russia and Iran, while the United States
may contribute by understanding the mistakes it made in the region
and by supporting the chosen conflict resolution plan.
"If such major regional powers as Turkey, Iran and Russia display
their unwavering stance on this issue, I believe that the West and the US
would have to adhere to it. If we will assume the directing role, if
we can stop the bloodshed, then we’ll score a major victory for our
nations and for the entire region; not to mention that from a
global perspective, it’ll help prevent new conflicts from sprouting
in the region," Çonkar concluded.
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