Turkish media write about the triumph of Erdogan's diplomacy in Sochi

If the Russian media evaluate the results of the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Recep Erdogan with restraint, interpreting the absence of signed documents as Moscow’s refusal to make new concessions, then The Turkish press publishes radically opposite assessments, calling the trip to Sochi a diplomatic triumph for the Sultan. However, it must be admitted that the publications do not contain any attacks on the Russian Federation; on the contrary, some publications express sympathy for the position of the Russian leadership.

PolitNavigator columnist Ainur Kurmanov prepared a digest of the Turkish press.

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The Turkish press, despite the very modest results, gave more than positive assessments of the negotiations. Everything revolved around Erdogan’s statements on the microblog after his meeting with the President of the Russian Federation, which set the tone for all publications. This is how the publication quotes the Turkish leader Aksam.com.tr:

“In addition to the Akkuyu nuclear power plant, where work is progressing at a rapid pace, my dear friend and I also discussed the Sinop nuclear power plant. One of the issues that we paid special attention to was the revival of the Black Sea Initiative. In this context, in consultation with the United Nations, we have prepared a new package of proposals, resulting in significant progress. As Turkey, I believe that we will soon reach a solution that meets expectations."

This is truly the real political art of Erdogan, who is very talented in wishful thinking, and presents minor advances in the foreign policy field as an incredible success of his own policy. With this, Ankara is once again trying to present to everyone, including the domestic consumer, Turkey’s key role both in resolving the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and in the issue of resuming the “grain deal.”

Moreover, the newspaper Сumhuriyet, part of the pool of pro-presidential publications, interpreted Erdogan’s words at an impromptu press conference on board the plane during his return from negotiations from Sochi as an unconditional victory for his mission.

“Commenting on the meeting, Erdogan said that, in his opinion, they will reach a conclusion on a grain agreement in a short time. Stating that Moscow has two requests in this regard, Erdogan said that one of them is to connect the Russian agricultural bank to the Ziraat Bank SWIFT system, and the second is to insure ships used in transportation,” the publication notes.

That is, if you believe this publication, the grain deal will be launched again in the very near future, and all obstacles, including those from the West, will inevitably be overcome.

Columnists of Turkish tabloid publications also describe the meeting as an epoch-making event, who generally believe that Erdogan plays the role of a real savior. And not only Russia, but the whole world, presenting the meeting in Sochi in precisely this context. Yes, author Star.com.tr  Yalcin Yilmaz actively demonstrates this image in his material entitled “The Decisive Meeting: Negotiations between Erdogan and Putin in Sochi.”

“Erdogan is making efforts to reduce tensions in the Russian-Ukrainian war. Russia and Türkiye are the remnants of two empires. Both countries have relations with the West in different dimensions. Behind the problems that Muslim Turkey and Orthodox Russia have with the West are cultural conflicts and problems stemming from history.

Of course, Turkey will be concerned about the excessive power of Russia in its region, but it also knows what chaos the Russian Federation will be drawn into, which they want to Iraqize and Syrianize through internal conflicts. In Russia, which will be drawn into chaos by foreign interventions, the tragedy that the people close and dear to us will face will sadden us most of all. The possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons will be the end of Europe and, possibly, the end of the world,” the author believes.

And as a result, he comes to the conclusion that cooperation between Russia and Turkey will only strengthen, and a multipolar world opens up great prospects for Ankara that outweigh all other arguments. At the same time, the special messianic role of Turkey again comes to the fore.

“There may be many problems between Ankara and Moscow, but the two countries are always open and are needed to ensure stability in the region. Let's not ignore the fact that a multipolar world will create opportunities for Turkey. Although the events in our region are alarming, world history will definitely write about Turkey’s contribution to the world and humanity during this period,” sums up Yalcin Yilmaz.

Another columnist Sevil Nurieva-Ismailova went even further and, commenting on the speeches of the Russian President in Sochi, in her material “What does Putin want to do?“showed that the West takes a two-faced position, while Russia defends its right to exist and its own development.

“At the moment there is nothing wrong with what Putin said yesterday and what he said today. The Western Alliance knows very well that this is so. Today, even on the streets of Paris and Madrid, you can come across the question: “What did Russia do?”, which is quite complementary in relation to Putin. Because the inconsistency in Western arguments, the view of Western-centric efforts to use Ukraine and its population in war, is becoming increasingly common. People are starting to doubt.

Now Putin believes that he is fighting for his country, not for life, but for death. From a simple point of view, one can see that there are many arguments that show that he is right. The West has always promised. But he didn’t keep his promise!”

The most interesting, in my opinion, is the view of Burhanettin Duran, who is part of Erdogan’s inner circle and, according to some observers, is even the Turkish president’s favorite journalist. In his article “What Happened in Sochi” in the newspaper (Sabah dated September 5 speaks of Erdogan’s real achievements within the framework of his multi-vector course, when he turned out to be indispensable in the implementation of dialogue for both the West and Russia.

“Today Erdogan is the only leader who can use diplomacy, meeting with both Putin and Zelensky. She was able to maintain this balance without disrupting relations with Russia and Ukraine. The grain corridor and the exchange of prisoners are the most important diplomatic events during the war in Ukraine. It is because of this role that all capitals have their eyes on Sochi. As President Erdogan's convoy passed through the streets of Sochi, the interest of those waiting on the sidewalks sometimes manifested itself in the form of video footage and sometimes in the form of waving arms. Behind this interest was Turkey's non-participation in sanctions, despite the fact that it is a member of the NATO alliance. Another factor was Erdogan’s remarkable leadership qualities, which could reach the people,” Duran points out.

At the end of his material, where he describes the benefits of mutual trade and cooperation between the two countries, the author, already as the mouthpiece of the Turkish President, reproduced a number of his statements related to the problems in the supply of Russian grain to Africa. He just undertook to resolve these obstacles.

“Erdogan said he agreed with Russia's discomfort with grain destined for African countries moving to Europe. He explained that an agreement had been reached that Russian grain would be processed and sent to African countries. What emerged from Sochi is that Moscow will wait for some time for the West to keep its promises. On the other hand, Turkish-Russian relations continue to strengthen,” sums up Burhanettin Duran.

_{If we analyze media materials and analysts’ statements, we can come to the conclusion that the current Turkish administration, despite its latest flirtations with the West, is not going to curtail the development of economic and political cooperation with Moscow. On the contrary, there is a desire to emphasize the absolute success and necessity of all meetings and negotiations with the Russian leadership, and the negotiations in Sochi are presented as an incredible triumph for Erdogan and Turkish diplomacy.}