{"id":411,"date":"2023-09-19T04:45:10","date_gmt":"2023-09-19T08:45:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/turkeys-erdogan-says-he-trusts-russia-as-much-as-he-trusts-the-west\/19\/09\/2023\/"},"modified":"2023-09-19T04:45:10","modified_gmt":"2023-09-19T08:45:10","slug":"turkeys-erdogan-says-he-trusts-russia-as-much-as-he-trusts-the-west","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/turkeys-erdogan-says-he-trusts-russia-as-much-as-he-trusts-the-west\/19\/09\/2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Turkey’s Erdogan says he trusts Russia as much as he trusts the West"},"content":{"rendered":"

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ISTANBUL (AP) \u2014 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he trusts Russia as much he trusts the West.<\/p>\n

Explaining his recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Erdogan said he had failed to get him to resume the Black Sea grain deal<\/a> the Kremlin withdrew from in July but had elicited a pledge for Russia to supply 1 million tons of grain to Africa.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have no reason not to trust them,\u201d Erdogan said during an interview late Monday with U.S. broadcaster PBS in New York, where he is attending the U.N. General Assembly.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo the extent the West is reliable, Russia is equally reliable. For the last 50 years, we have been waiting at the doorstep of the EU and, at this moment in time, I trust Russia just as much as I trust the West.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ankara has maintained close ties with both Russia and Ukraine during the 19-month war. In July last year, Turkey and the U.N. engineered a deal to allow Ukrainian grain to be safely shipped<\/a> from its Black Sea ports, helping alleviate a global food crisis.<\/p>\n

Moscow pulled out of the agreement<\/a> two months ago, claiming a parallel deal to allow its exports of foodstuffs and fertilizer had not been honored.<\/p>\n

Erdogan is visiting New York four months after winning elections that extended his 20-year rule for another five years. His fresh mandate has seen signs of an improvement in Ankara\u2019s often fractious relationship with the West.<\/p>\n

Speaking at an event on Monday, the Turkish leader appeared to roll back comments he made immediately prior to his departure<\/a> for New York, in which he suggested Turkey could end its 24-year bid for European Union membership.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe see that a window of opportunity has opened for the revitalization of Turkey-European Union relations in a critical period,\u201d Erdogan said, according to a text of the meeting published by his office.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe continue to emphasize the importance of revitalizing Turkey\u2019s EU accession process.\u201d<\/p>\n

Erdogan also indicated improving ties with Washington, which have recently focused on Ankara\u2019s approval of Sweden\u2019s NATO membership<\/a> application and a possible deal to supply Turkey with F-16 fighter jets.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are pleased with the development of our cooperation with the U.S.,\u201d Erdogan said. \u201cWe have resolved most of the deadlocks during the talks with Mr. Biden and we have decided to hold more talks in line with the positive agenda.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turkey and Hungary are the only NATO members not to have approved Sweden\u2019s bid to join the defense alliance, which Stockholm made following Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine. The issue is due to be debated by the Turkish parliament when it returns from recess next month.<\/p>\n

Some members of the U.S. Congress have indicated the provision of F-16s to update Turkey\u2019s fighter fleet is dependent on Ankara agreeing to Sweden\u2019s NATO membership.<\/p>\n

But Erdogan reiterated that \u201cthese two topics shouldn\u2019t be related\u201d although he said the decision on Sweden lies with the Turkish parliament, where his party and its allies hold a majority.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the parliament doesn\u2019t make a positive decision about this bid, then there\u2019s nothing to do,\u201d he told PBS.<\/p>\n

Erdogan also drew a line between Sweden\u2019s NATO bid and Turkey\u2019s EU accession. In July, however, he called on EU member states to \u201copen the way for Turkey\u201d in return for Sweden\u2019s path to NATO to be cleared.<\/p>\n

He told PBS on Monday that \u201cSweden\u2019s position and our current position within the EU accession negotiations are two separate things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turning to the war in Ukraine and his contacts with Putin, Erdogan said it was \u201cquite obvious that this war is going to last a long time\u201d but that the Russian leader was \u201con the side of ending this war as soon as possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what he said. And I believe his remarks,” Erdogan said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he trusts Russia as much he trusts the West. Explaining his recent