What's up with Turkey?

[Skybird]

Turkey is a main actor making sure Russia can evade the consequences of the sanctions.



Turkey was the main "mediator" behind the hostages-for-murderers swap.

[Otto Harkaman]

Turkey is a main actor making sure Russia can evade the consequences of the sanctions.

Turkey has been playing a significant role in helping Russia evade international sanctions, particularly those imposed due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Recent reports highlight that Turkey has facilitated this evasion through various means, including its financial and trade relationships with Russia.
The U.S. has sanctioned several Turkish companies and individuals for their involvement in aiding Russia. These sanctions target entities that have been helping Russia's war effort by providing services such as repairing sanctioned vessels and facilitating the transfer of dual-use goods—items that can be used for both civilian and military purposes. This has allowed Russia to maintain its military capabilities despite the sanctions​ (Financial Times)​​ (Global)​.
Moreover, the increase in trade volumes between Turkey and Russia since the onset of the Ukraine conflict suggests that Turkey's economic interactions with Russia have been significant in mitigating the impact of the sanctions on Moscow. This involvement has raised alarms in Western capitals, which see Turkey's actions as undermining the collective efforts to pressure Russia into compliance​ (Financial Times)​​ (Global)​.
In summary, Turkey's role in helping Russia evade sanctions underscores a complex geopolitical relationship, balancing its own economic interests and strategic alliances while drawing criticism from Western allies.

Turkey was the main "mediator" behind the hostages-for-murderers swap.

Turkey played a pivotal role in the recent high-profile prisoner exchange between the United States, Russia, and other countries. This complex operation, coordinated by Turkish intelligence, saw the release of 26 individuals from seven different countries, including notable figures such as Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former US Marine Paul Whelan, and Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza​ (Al-Monitor)​​ (Devdiscourse)​​ (Al-Monitor)​.
President Joe Biden publicly thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for ensuring the successful completion of the swap. The exchange also involved the release of 12 prominent Russian dissidents and German nationals, including Ilya Yashin, a close aide to the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny​ (Al-Monitor)​​ (Al-Monitor)​.
The operation underscored Turkey's significant diplomatic influence and its ability to mediate complex international negotiations. This exchange demonstrates Turkey's strategic role in facilitating dialogue and resolution between Eastern and Western powers​ ( )​​ (Al-Monitor)​.

[Otto Harkaman]

[Otto Harkaman]

Turkey seems to quickly condemn PKK for attack but what is really going on?

Turkey's government says its military struck sites on Wednesday night in Iraq and Syria linked to Kurdish militant group the PKK, after blaming it for an attack near Ankara that killed at least five people.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c937p1vzrx0o

[Dargo]

Originally Posted by Otto Harkaman

Turkey seems to quickly condemn PKK for attack but what is really going on?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c937p1vzrx0o

The Kurdish Freedom Hawks (TAK), a splinter organisation even more violent and uncompromising than the PKK. The TAK split from the PKK 20 years ago because it was willing to talk to the state. Given its past methods, Tuesday's attack in Ankara may very well have been the work of the TAK. Incidentally, some observers believe that the organisation does still have links to the PKK. The parent organisation is said to use the splinter for radical actions, to which it itself does not want to lend its signature.

Devlet Bahçeli, the leader of the right-wing nationalist party MHP, partner in President Erdoğan's coalition. Said PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, who is serving a life sentence in complete isolation on the islet of Imrali, could announce in parliament that the PKK will be dissolved and that ‘terrorism is completely over’. He even suggested that Öcalan could be released at large in that case, an unprecedented sound in Turkish politics. Coincidentally, the attack took place just as Öcalan was receiving visits in his solitary cell for the first time in almost four years. His nephew Ömer Öcalan, a member of parliament for DEM, announced on X that he had spoken to the PKK leader. On behalf of his uncle, the cousin conveyed the following message: "If the conditions are met, I can move the process from conflict and violence to the field of law and politics."

PKK spokesmen had reacted to MHP leader Bahçeli's statements with more scepticism on Tuesday. For instance, PKK leader Duran Kalkan wrote in Yeni Özgür newspaper that the alleged rapprochement stems from uncertainty among the Erdoğan government about geopolitical developments in the region, especially the possibility of war between Iran and Israel, backed by the US. Turkey would therefore seek backing from the Kurds

[Otto Harkaman]

U.S. Fears Military Buildup by Turkey Signals Preparations for Incursion Into Syria: Report

1. The United States is alarmed that Turkey is preparing for a large-scale military incursion into Syria, targeting U.S.-backed Kurdish forces.
2. U.S. Officials noted that Turkey's military buildup resembles movements seen before its 2019 invasion of northeast Syria.
3. A new Turkish offensive could deepen regional instability and undermine security against Islamic State remnants.
4. Turkey considers the SDF an extension of the PKK, which it has designated as a terrorist organization.

https://ground.news/article/us-fears...-report_8502ad

[Raf1394]

All countries bordering Syria, just take there own interests.
Its simple.