Recep Erdogan’s
letter
to Vladimir Putin opens up new opportunities in relations between the two countries. Although the apology itself can be interpreted differently (it is addressed to the families of the deceased pilots and in Turkish, sounds somewhat like “Alright, guys, we made a mistake, no hard feelings, OK?”), there is no doubt that the President of Turkey intended his letter to be taken as an apology. Judging by the reaction from the Kremlin, and given the fact that the...
It finally happened. November 24
th
, 2015 became a turning point for the Russian-Turkish relations. The two sides will probably never agree with each other on who is to blame for the SU-24 tragedy and on whether this was an unfortunate accident or a deliberately planned action. However, at least one thing should be clear to everybody: a long optimistic chapter in the bilateral relationship is over, and we are entering a new, still very unclear and potentially very dangerous period. From now on,...
On 24 November 2015 a Turkish F-16 fighter shot down a Russian Su-24 bomber on the border with Syria. In an instant this incident destroyed Russian–Turkish relations, which even a day earlier had been on a higher level than ever before in the history of the two countries over the past century. It can be said that 24 November 2015 opened a new page in the history of the two countries’ relationship, recalling the days of the Cold War.
The Russian bomber, which was stationed at a military...
It is time for the West to end to its economic sanctions on Russia.
As Russia's response to this week's Turkish crisis shows, force need not be met by force in an ever-escalating spiral. Whether or not a Russian jet strayed into
Turkish airspace
on November 24, 2015 it was irresponsible bordering on insane for the Turkish military to shoot it down. The ensuing cold-blooded murder of its pilot while parachuting to the ground was an outright war crime. In situations like this, calls for revenge can...
Within hours, the downed Su-24 took Turkey–Russia relations, which had been cooling for some time, to a new low, thus marking a peak of tensions between Ankara and Moscow. There is more to what happened on November 24, 2015 than meets the eye. On the one hand, the military, diplomatic and inter-state tensions seem at first sight to involve two actors – Moscow and Ankara. On the other hand, it is clear that Turkey is perceived under these circumstances as a member of NATO and, in the opinion...
The incident that occurred in the skies over Syria when a Turkish F-16 shot down a Russian Su-24 got the whole world talking about how close we came to an all-out conflict in the Middle East. Some commentators have suggested that today we are closer to an open conflict between Russia and NATO than ever before since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Quite surprisingly while Russia watchers have insisted that if a conflict between the alliance and Moscow is to erupt it will take place in Eastern Europe...
The incident with the downed Russian plane on the border between Syria and Turkey on November 24, 2015 became a massive talking point all around the world. However, the event did not come as much of a surprise for specialists. Anything can be expected from the authorities of a country that has been astonishing the world with its antics over the past several years.
The ruling Turkish party, which has no qualms about blackmailing its own people with terror in order to achieve electoral success, is...
