Despite being a NATO country, Ankara has strived to maintain a balanced outlook between the belligerents since the start of the Ukraine war. Turkey’s position can essentially be described as pro-Ukraine without being anti-Russia.
Firstly, as a political stance, Ankara has been unambiguously critical of Russia’s aggression. It has consistently sided with its NATO allies in condemning Russia’s offensive and has emphasised the importance of protecting Ukraine’s territorial integrity. This continues Turkey’s long-standing policy of refusing to recognise the annexation of Crimea by Russia, as well as its claims on Ukraine’s eastern territories.
Secondly, at the outset of the war, Ankara invoked Article 17 of the Montreux Convention to close the Turkish Straits to the passage of Russian warships. As a result, Moscow was unable to reinforce its embattled Black Sea fleet with naval assets from the Eastern Mediterranean.
Thirdly, Turkey delivered a range of critical military platforms to Ukraine, which proved instrumental in the country’s early defence efforts. Notably, Turkish-supplied armed drones were widely acknowledged to have played an effective role in disrupting Russia’s initial attempts to seize Kyiv.
Textured approach
At the same time, Ankara has refused to apply sanctions against Russia and allowed bilateral trade to continue unabated. However, Turkey has been cautious not to cross key red lines identified by its Western allies. For instance, there has been no refunneling of Russian oligarchs’ assets to Turkey. Similarly, Ankara has taken steps to curtail third-party trade that sought to exploit Turkey’s open economy. Turkish airspace remains open to Russian traffic, consolidating Turkey’s status as the most popular tourism destination for Russians traveling abroad.
