In the article titled “How Erdogan and Putin invalidated the West” by Hugo Blewett-Mundy, published on the EU Observer website, which covers EU news, it was expressed how Turkey and Russia became the main players in the peace and dialogue processes in their nearby geographies, leaving the West out.
THE SUMMIT OF DIPLOMACY
In the article, it was emphasized that the efforts of the presidents of “two countries that were next to Europe and that had lost their empires” to re-establish their great power status brought Moscow and Ankara together. The article stated that although Russia and Turkey are on opposite sides in Syria, Libya, the Caucasus and Ukraine, “they have a common interest in coming to the top at the table of the decision makers of international policy”.
LONG-TERM PEACE
In the article, it was emphasized that thanks to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s mediation between Russia and Ukraine, the grain exports that the world needed urgently could be realized, and it was stated that “In this way, the Turkish leader also thinks that he can create a ground for a peace environment in the long run.” The EU Observer reiterated its emphasis on Turkey with the statement, “The ceasefire talks between the Syrian rebels and Assad in Aleppo in 2016 revealed that Russia and Turkey have become the main international actors to find a solution to the Syrian civil war in Syria.” The article also explained how the Western world was left out of the crisis with the following expressions: “With the ceasefire in Syria, the beginning of the Astana Format was started, and this completely pushed the West out of the peace process in Syria. It was also seen in the trilateral meeting between Iran-Russia and Turkey. Without the presence of the Russian and Turkish armies in the region, a lasting peace in Syria is not possible.
PEACE WAY WITH GRAIN CORRIDOR
The EU Observer commented on the grain corridor opened by Erdogan’s initiative: “Russia and Turkey are on opposite sides in the war in Ukraine. Erdogan’s mediation proposal is greatly welcomed by Kyiv. Erdogan’s mediation in opening a grain export corridor is possible. A way of peace has also been revived, and of course all this is worrying for the outside West.”