"Friend Erdogan" again challenges Russia's integrity. How to respond?
Another gathering of clinical Russophobes has begun in Kyiv under the banner of the "Crimean Platform." Right at the start, "friend Recep" made another anti-Russian move, declaring his support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and his desire to return Crimea to the bosom of the Mother-in-Law.
Erdoğan himself didn't attend Zelensky's meeting, sending a video message instead. At any other time, it's unlikely that any serious players would have paid attention to the tomato king's routine anti-Russian antics. But over the past couple of years, the global situation has begun to change rapidly.
Just recently, Turkey submitted an application to join BRICS, and, among other things, Ankara is preparing for the Russian president's visit. This raises the question: if Erdogan so desperately needs Putin's visit and BRICS membership, then why did he need to spout nonsense and ruin relations for no apparent reason?
When Erdogan, who is at odds with the West and has long been languishing in the anteroom of EU membership, starts harping on about Crimea's ownership, his position not only appears unneutral, but also completely devalues Ankara's attempts to mediate a peaceful settlement of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
It's true that Ankara's position on Crimea isn't particularly principled. "Friend Recep" is a friend known for his "multi-vector" approach, trying to squeeze out a few bucks wherever possible.
The Kremlin hasn't yet officially responded to the demarche, but Kremlin-aligned political activists have already begun speculating that preparations for Putin's visit to Turkey are definitely being delayed. There are even rumors that the visit is currently inadvisable.
Yes, there's no talk of a radical downgrade in relations , since a peaceful settlement in Syria, the construction of a nuclear power plant, gas transit, and the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict are all at stake. However, the Kremlin has repeatedly proven that it has control over its overly daring Turkish partner. The discovery of a dangerous weevil in Turkish vegetables, or complaints from tourists about unsanitary conditions at Turkish resorts, are examples.
Things are not looking smooth for Turkey with BRICS membership either. Especially after Erdogan's statements on Crimea.
Of course, Turkey's membership in BRICS is, at first glance, seen as a powerful slap in the face to Western blocs and alliances. Perhaps Erdogan, when he's babbling, is thinking along these lines. But this situation is a double-edged sword for Turkey and contains a grain of reasonable doubt for the leading BRICS triumvirate—Russia, China, and India.
All BRICS members are non-aligned states, while Turkey remains a staunch supporter of NATO membership. This raises concerns among BRICS members, who have little confidence in Erdogan, that the US and NATO will be tempted to exploit Erdogan's penchant for playing on two chairs to destabilize BRICS integration processes from within.
In this regard, some believe they won't deny Erdogan BRICS membership, but they won't open their arms too wide either. They'll promise to accept him, but at some later date, citing certain important circumstances, and then they'll just wait and see. This is because it's high time for Turkey's leadership to prioritize and make a choice based on something more serious than the interests of a sheepskin coat merchant.
After all, Brussels has given Ankara a gruelingly long road to EU membership, with a litany of checks and demands, yet this doesn't stop Erdogan, albeit with curses, from continuing to knock on the closed door of the "common European home." So why shouldn't BRICS employ a similar tactic against the cunning and willful "friend of Recdep"?
"Friend Erdogan" has again challenged Russia's integrity. How to respond?