Russia and Turkey: together against instability

On 15 October 2015, the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) and the Center for Strategic Research of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey (SAM), backed by Rönessans Holding and CREON Energy, held an international conference "Russia and Turkey: Forging Multidimensional Partnership. 95th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations." The event took place at a time of dynamic development in Russia-Turkey relations and the Middle East crisis. This context predictably attracted keen interest on the part of many analysts and practical workers. The conference was attended by more than 200 government officials, representative of business and academic circles, civil society in Russia and Turkey and about 30 media outlets.

On 15 October 2015, the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) and the Center for Strategic Research of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey (SAM), backed by Rönessans Holding and CREON Energy, held an international conference "Russia and Turkey: Forging Multidimensional Partnership. 95th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations." 

The event took place at a time of dynamic development in Russia-Turkey relations and the Middle East crisis. This context predictably attracted keen interest on the part of many analysts and practical workers. The conference was attended by more than 200 government officials, representative of business and academic circles, civil society in Russia and Turkey and about 30 media outlets.      

The discussion covered topical political, economic and humanitarian issues, the two countries' approaches to regional problems and possible growth points of Russia-Turkey relations. What is the current state of bilateral cooperation? What is the outlook for the Turkish Stream project? Will construction of the Akkuyu nuclear plant be completed? Will Turkey become an energy hub? Does the Ukrainian crisis influence Russia-Turkey relations? Is Islamic State a security threat for Russia and Turkey? Can the two countries cooperate in Syria and will Moscow and Ankara be able to maintain the unprecedentedly high level of dialogue following the violations of Turkish air space? These were some of the main issues addressed during the conference's three plenary sessions.

The full video recording of the conference is available on the conference page.

Key quotes

Igor Ivanov, RIAC President: "Our countries are neighbours and the history of our relations is centuries old. I would not like to delve into history, as that is the business of historians. Even so, speaking about the current day, I have to note that cooperation between Russia and Turkey today has reached an all-time high."

Ali Resul Usul, President of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Center for Strategic Research (SAM): "Following the end of the Cold War, since 1992 the relations between Russia and Turkey have developed very intensively. It has been a new stage in our bilateral relations, in our centuries-old history... Bilateral investments are increasing in various sectors of the economy. Turkish companies have worked in Russia since 1998, with total investments in the Russian economy during this period exceeding USD 10 bn."

Greetings from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (read out by A. Meshkov): "The 95th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations affords the opportunity not only to sum up the results of cooperation but also to discuss prospects for expanding the partnership under new conditions...It is no secret that Moscow and Ankara view certain issues on the international agenda differently, while in some cases our positions diverge. Approximating approaches is only possible through an open exchange of views and a well-argued search for points of contact. It is this opportunity, including for a discourse on the most sensitive issues, held in an informal setting, that your discussion format affords.It has brought to Moscow everyone who is capable of contributing to the search of paths for progress in our relations – representatives of government authorities, leading scientists and experts, talented journalists, captains of the business community, and civil society leaders."

Umit Yardim, Turkish Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Russia: "Our trade this year will top USD 30 bn… The current Akkuyu project is epoch-making for the energy market. Our air companies, Turkish Airlines and Aeroflot, are increasing the number of flights… A joint satellite is to be launched within months… A Russian Culture Centre has opened in Istanbul. I hope that we will soon be able to open the Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Centre in Moscow. 2017 has been declared the Year of Turkish Culture in Russia and 2018 the Year of Russia in Turkey... Lev Tolstoy said that people should be judged not by their words but by their deeds. I think what our countries are doing to strengthen our partnership and good-neighbourly relations is very important."

Alexei Meshkov, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia: "Russia and Turkey are engaged in an intensive political dialogue. Its dynamism, above all at the summit level, can make many countries envious. On 1 December 2014, President Putin of Russia paid a state visit to Turkey. Putin met with President Erdogan in June in Baku and in September in Moscow… Several more meetings are planned before the end of the year, including during the G20 summit in Antalya in November and the time-tested bilateral dialogue at the High-Level Cooperation Council (HLCC).

Anatoly Yanovsky, Deputy Energy Minister of Russia, Russian Co-Chairman of the Russian-Turkish Energy Working Group: "Early this year, as you know, we suggested that the Turkish Government consider creating a new gas-transportation system called Turkish Stream to link Russia and northern Turkey directly beneath the Black Sea. The draft agreement has been submitted to the Turkish side. Obviously, in connection with the change of government and elections, our Turkish partners have to assume responsibility for making decisions. We hope, and we have put these proposals to our colleagues, to hold early consultations on this agreement, which would ensure the supply of an additional 16 bn cubic metres of gas to Turkey for its internal needs and provide an opportunity for delivering additional gas to the Balkan Peninsula."

Ali Kemal Aydin, Deputy Foreign Minister of Turkey: "I would like to focus on the problem of violation of Turkish air space by Russian planes. Turkey takes a categorical stand on the issue... Russian warplanes have, on several occasions, conducted fairly dangerous manoeuvres close to Turkish warplanes and we still do not quite understand their purpose. Nevertheless, we keep our cool and maintain our patience and are trying to convey our concerns through diplomatic channels to our colleagues, and we hope that the Russian side will explain its actions. In recent years, Turkey has been very open to dialogue with the RF on issues where we did not have serious differences and we are now reaping the fruit of this dialogue. We have reached a level that was unimaginable 10 years ago and we hope that these steps will continue and we will achieve a far higher level... I hope that the Russian Government and the Foreign Ministry will respect our position in this region."

Vitaly Naumkin, Head of Research at the RAS Oriental Studies Institute: "I am surprised that our Turkish friends are playing up the situation around the incident with the plane. Mr Meshkov has already said today that military cooperation on this issue will be established. We co-operate with the Americans on "deconfliction" in order to avoid a collision. Perhaps the same could have been done with Turkey. But look at the Russian media today and at Russian official sources and note their restrained and friendly tone. Your western partners, your NATO allies and others constantly accuse Turkey of being a channel for penetration by Jihadists into Syria. Open any website, any Western newspaper from the Washington Post to The Guardian, and you will find all this there. Open a Russian newspaper, and there is nothing of the kind."

Ozdem Sanberk, President of the International Strategic Research Organization (USAK), Deputy Foreign Minister of Turkey (1991–1995): "A military operation will never resolve the situation in Syria, that is obvious. The Syrian problem can only be solved at the diplomatic and political, but not at the military level. It is very important now to switch to peaceful rhetoric because only such a switch can change tensions and soften the situation. We hope that peaceful rhetoric can help bring about a peaceful solution to the current problems in the region."

Alexander Dzasokhov, Deputy Chairman of the RF UNESCO Commission, Ambassador of the RF, Vice President of the RIAC: "The development of the Caucasus as a single geopolitical and geoeconomic region in the current difficult situation is impossible without restoring dialogue between the states of the Caucasus. There is no alternative to this. It can be said that, in the Caucasus,"there are more conflicts than mountain peaks," but we have to move to stimulate inter-state contacts. I would like to stress that if one Caucasus state unnaturally and unhistorically seeks to leave the Caucasus space and become part of NATO, we cannot forbid it from the legal point of view, arguing that accession would damage the Caucasus states. I think there we could find common ground in order not to aggravate tensions."

Igor Ivanov, RIAC President: "In my opinion, our dialogue today reflects a very high level of partnership relations. That is why we have not sidestepped a single complicated problem. We have raised, I think, all the complex problems and we did so very sincerely, respectfully, but frankly, like partners, thus demonstrating that we want to find a solution and not to aggravate relations. I believe this reflects partnership relations."

Photo

International conference "Russia and Turkey: Forging Multidimensional Partnership. 95th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations."

Selected media publications

Channel One

"Vremya" http://www.1tv.ru/newsvideoarchive/pd=15.10.2015 

Rossiya 1

News (17:30) http://russia.tv/video/show/brand_id/5402/episode_id/1237782/video_id/1391297/

Channel 5

Nuclear power plant and Turkish Stream gas pipeline to be flagship Russia-Turkey partnership projects http://5-tv.ru/news/101169/ 

Kommersant

Turetsky Choir http://kommersant.ru/doc/2832897 

Gazeta.ru

Turkish and Russian planes flew dangerously close to one another 13 times http://www.gazeta.ru/politics/news/2015/10/15/n_7777475.shtml 

Russia and Turkey plan consultations on Syria http://www.gazeta.ru/politics/news/2015/10/15/n_7776797.shtml 

MFA: Russia does not supply arms to Syrian Kurds http://www.gazeta.ru/politics/news/2015/10/15/n_7776575.shtml 

RBC

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister denies arms supplies to Kurds in Syria http://www.rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/561fb59b9a79472495098287

Rossiiskaya Gazeta

To Antalya as on Vacation http://www.rg.ru/2015/10/16/conference.html 

Lenta.ru

Turkey reports dangerous behaviour of Russian air force http://lenta.ru/news/2015/10/15/turkey_talks/ 

RIA Novosti

Ambassador: Moscow and Ankara have the potential to develop a regional strategy http://ria.ru/syria_peace/20151015/1302320090.html 

Kosachev: RF and Turkey agree on many things regarding the situation in Syria http://ria.ru/world/20151015/1302323422.html#ixzz3ohtHhYDo

Ankara: RF and Turkey shield relations from regional conflicts http://ria.ru/world/20151015/1302240509.html 

Vestnik Kavkaza

Igor Ivanov: Russia and Turkey Want to See a Stable Caucasus http://www.vria.ru/material/143405 

Present and future of relations between Russia and Turkey discussed in Moscow http://www.vria.ru/news/V-Moskve-obsuzhdayut-nastoyashchee-i-budushchee-otnosheniy-mezhdu-Rossiey-i-Turtsiey.html 

Vitaly Naumkin: Russian operation in Syria has changed the Middle East http://www.vria.ru/news/Vitaliy-Naumkin-rossiyskaya-operatsiya-v-Sirii-izmenila-Blizhniy-Vostok.html

Igor Ivanov: "Russian-Turkish cooperation reaches all-time high" http://www.vria.ru/video/Igor-Ivanov-Rossiysko-turetskoe-sotrudnichestvo-dostiglo-samogo-vysokogo-urovnya.html 

Ali Resul Usul: "Relations between Russia and Turkey in the energy field are developing actively" http://www.vria.ru/video/Ali-Resul-Uzul-Otnosheniya-mezhdu-Rossiey-i-Turtsiey-v-oblasti-energetiki-razvivayutsya-ochen-aktivno.html 

Russian-Turkish economic cooperation on the rise http://www.vria.ru/news/Rossiysko-turetskoe-ekonomicheskoe-sotrudnichestvo-na-podeme.html 

Mikhail Bogdanov: Russia and Turkey have grounds for collaborating on the Syrian issue http://www.vria.ru/news/Mikhail-Bogdanov-u-Rossii-i-Turtsii-est-osnova-dlya-vzaimodeystviya-po-siriyskomu-voprosu.html 

Ali-Kemal-Aydin: political expedience should not harm economic relations between Russia and Turkey http://www.vria.ru/news/Ali-Kemal-Aydyn-siyuminutnaya-politika-ne-dolzhna-vredit-ekonomicheskim-kontaktam-Rossii-i-Turtsii.html

Alexander Dzasokhov proposes to make the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation a political organisation http://www.vria.ru/news/Aleksandr-Dzasokhov-predlozhil-sdelat-OCHES-politicheskoy-organizatsiey.html 

Vitaly Naumkin: Russia and Turkey should not quarrel where they can combine efforts http://www.vria.ru/news/Vitaliy-Naumkin-Rossii-i-Turtsii-ne-stoit-ssoritsya-tam-gde-mozhno-obedinit-sily.html 

Ozdem Sanberk: frozen conflicts in the region cannot be settled without Russia http://www.vria.ru/news/Ozdem-Sanberk-bez-pozitsii-Rossii-nelzya-uregulirovat-zamorozhennye-konflikty-v-regione.html 

Khalil-Akyndzhi: Russia and Turkey must contribute more actively to settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict http://www.vria.ru/news/KHalil-Akyndzhi-Rossiya-i-Turtsiya-dolzhny-aktivnee-sposobstvovat-uregulirovaniyu-konflikta-vokrug-Nagornogo-Karabakha.html 

Alexander Sternik: Russia and Turkey have great potential for collaboration in Central Asia http://www.vria.ru/news/Aleksandr-Sternik-u-Rossii-i-Turtsii-velik-potentsial-vzaimodeystviya-v-TSentralnoy-Azii.html 

Another test of Russia-Turkey relations http://www.vria.ru/articles/Ocherednoe-ispytanie-dlya-rossiysko-turetskikh-otnosheniy.html 

TASS

Turkish Foreign Ministry: RF and Ankara must step up their efforts to combat terrorism http://tass.ru/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/2348987 

Turkish Foreign Ministry: Russian and Turkish planes came dangerously close to each other 13 times http://tass.ru/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/2351083 

MFA of Russia: Russia and Turkey will hold consultations on Syria in the next few days http://tass.ru/politika/2350689 

Regnum

Lavrov: RF and Turkey must pool efforts to counter terrorism http://www.regnum.ru/news/polit/1991759.html 

Turkish ambassador to RF: Erdogan plans to meet Putin in Kazan  http://regnum.ru/news/international/1991773.html 

Rosbalt

Deputy Foreign Minister denies possibility of Russian military aid to Syrian Kurds http://www.rosbalt.ru/main/2015/10/15/1451425.html

Turkey reports 13 incidents of Russian warplanes flying dangerously close to its air force planes http://www.rosbalt.ru/main/2015/10/15/1451530.html

Russia's actions over the past two weeks cause great disappointment in Turkey http://www.rosbalt.ru/main/2015/10/15/1451469.html

Vzglyad

Russia contemplates inviting Central Asian countries to take part in the Turkish Stream http://www.vz.ru/news/2015/10/15/772619.html   

Infox

MFA RF: Russia does not supply arms to Syrian Kurds http://www.infox.ru/authority/state/2015/10/15/MID_RF__Rossiya_nye_.phtml 

Ridus

Russian Foreign Ministry denies reports about arms supplies to Kurds in Syria http://www.ridus.ru/news/201064 

RT

MFA RF Interaction between Russia and Turkey in combating IS could be useful https://russian.rt.com/article/123773

APA

Russia and Turkey interested in stability in the Caucasus – former FM http://en.apa.az/xeber_russia__turkey_interested_in_stability_i_233521.html 

Reuters

Russia says it is ready to co-operate with Turkey on tackling terrorism http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/15/us-russia-turkey-terrorism-idUSKCN0S90NL20151015 

I24

Russia willing to cooperate with Turkey on tackling terrorism: Lavrov http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/89121-151015-russia-willing-to-cooperate-with-turkey-on-tackling-terrorism-lavrov 

Anadolu Agency

Moscow ready to cooperate with Turkey against terrorism http://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/moscow-ready-to-cooperate-with-turkey-against-terrorism/445744

Hürriyet:

Türk ve Rus uçakları arasında 13 tehlikeli yakınlaşma