By Aykut Diş
The warnings of Russian president Vladimir Putin regarding the TurkStream and Blue Stream pipelines during the International Economic Forum meeting have become a hot topic. Putin said to the heads of international news agencies that Ukraine sees the natural gas pipelines connecting Russia to Türkiye as “targets”. Russian President also called on the journalists, saying “Please inform our friend President Erdoğan about what is really happening”.
On June 5, 2024, at the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, Vladimir Putin announced that 12 days earlier, Ukrainian kamikaze drones had attacked one of the pumping stations of the pipeline connected to Türkiye on Russia’s Black Sea coast. According to the Russian Federation Embassy in Ankara, Putin said:
“While Türkiye cooperates with Ukraine in some areas, Kyiv is trying to hit the pipelines that carry gas to Türkiye. This is not a joke or exaggeration. Please inform our friend President Erdoğan about what is really happening.”
UWI author and the representative of the Vatan Party in the Russian Federation, Associate Professor Dr. Mehmet Perinçek commented on Putin’s remarks.
Mehmet Perinçek was among the participants of the Forum where the Russian president made those remarks.
Perinçek said that Ukraine targeting projects like TurkStream and Blue Stream, which are closely related to Türkiye’s energy security, is not something “new” or surprising. He reminded the protocol between the US and Ukraine on November 16, 2018: “The US and the Collective West see the Ukraine issue not only as a tool against Russia, but also as a means to thwart Turkish-Russian relations, thus using it against Türkiye. On November 16, 2018, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin announced in Washington that they were cooperating to block the TurkStream project.”
Agreement of November 27, 2018
Mehmet Perinçek emphasized that Türkiye provided UAVs/UCAVs to Ukraine but received hostility in return:
“This agreement titled ‘US-Ukraine Strategic Partnership’ was announced on the US State Department’s website on November 27, 2018. Attacks on the TurkStream project occurred following this agreement and the start of armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Russian security units shared information related to the attacks with the public.
Now, we observe that these attacks have significantly increased, which fits well with the strategy of the Kyiv regime. As known, the Kyiv regime clearly sided with Israel in the Israel-Palestine war. Additionally, we know that foreign mercenaries fighting from the PKK/PYD terrorist organization are also fighting together with the Kyiv regime against Russia in Ukraine. Also, the official websites of the Kyiv regime called for sanctions on Türkiye and Turkish banks.”
“In turn for receiving Bayraktar, Ukraine attacks on the TurkStream”
“Türkiye is sending Bayraktar model UAVs/UCAVs to Ukraine but in return receives sanction calls, statements supporting Israel and attacks on the TurkStream pipelines. Moreover, the Kyiv regime rendered Erdoğan’s mediation efforts fruitless. Remember that the talks in Istanbul, which had succeeded to reach some certain mutual terms, were blocked under the pressure of the Kyiv regime’s patrons.”
Using Ukraine to thwart Turkish-Russian relations
“All these moves are parts of the US’s strategy. Because the US and the Collective West see the Ukraine issue not only as a tool against Russia, but also as a means to thwart Turkish-Russian relations. They want to implement their plans by pitting Türkiye against Russia over the Ukraine issue. Their goal is to isolate Türkiye and make it an easy target. Sanctions play a crucial role in this regard.”
Opportunity to be a “hub” for Türkiye
“More importantly, Türkiye is in a favorable position due to the sanctions. Türkiye has the chance to become an economic, commercial, energy, tourism and transportation hub in the world. Using sanctions as a threat, the US sought to make Türkiye miss that opportunity.”
“The US and Ukraine bombing Türkiye’s energy security, not metaphorically but literally”
“Türkiye’s national economy is under twofold pressure: Sanctions and direct attacks. We have to put it clearly: The US and Ukraine are bombing Türkiye’s energy security, not metaphorically but literally. The aim here is to weaken Türkiye by deepening the economic crisis through an energy crisis. In this context, Putin’s words are cautionary and to the point. Türkiye should act with a holistic strategy for its national interests. Türkiye should withstand US’s pressures and stop military aid to Ukraine.”
“In fact, on the strategic level, the US’s plans in Ukraine are no different from its aid to PKK/PYD and ‘Greater Kurdistan’ in Syria or to usurp Türkiye’s legitimate sovereignty rights in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean. They are all parts of a grand imperialist strategy.”
Prof. Dr. Kemal Üçüncü from Karadeniz Technical University in Türkiye shared his views with Turkish Aydınlık newspaper.
Just like a century ago
Kemal Üçüncü drew a parallel between one century ago and today, saying that “Türkiye is on the same strategic line with Russia”. He emphasized that NATO and the West are trying to isolate both countries: “Mr. Putin’s warnings about Ukraine are important. The primary target of the Western alliance and NATO is to sabotage Turkish-Russian relations. By doing so they aim to bring Türkiye to a point where it cannot defend its national interests on the one side and to isolate Russia by severing its connection with its southern neighbor, which serves as Russia’s main gateway to the world. So, Türkiye and Russia are both facing imperialist impositions just like a century ago”.
Kemal Üçüncü shared his views on the prospects of Türkiye-Russia relations:
“Turkish-Russian friendship has a deep-rooted common past on the ground set by their founding leaders, Lenin and Atatürk. I think the strategic intelligence, experience and determination of the Turkish and Russian states would recognize and overcome these kinds of plots. The ongoing struggle against imperialism in Yemen, Karabakh, Cyprus, Ukraine and the East Mediterranean should be perceived as constituents of one single front.”