Natural gas is the new golden currency of political trade…
"A Swedish Nightmare"
– Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
My article "A Swedish Nightmare," published on February 23, delves into the aftermath of a strategic political move by Russian President Vladimir Putin. This move involved gifting a natural gas hub to Turkey, which caused widespread debate on Turkey's role in preventing neutral Sweden from joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). It was clear that Russia under Putin would go to great lengths to prevent Sweden from becoming a member of NATO.
What are the most significant factors that determine a country's geopolitical power, and how does money affect it?
The issue of natural gas and its impact on the global energy markets cannot be ignored. In the current political climate, the decisions made by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan could significantly impact the energy industry. The location of a natural gas hub in Turkey, strategically positioned between Asia and Europe, has the potential to dramatically influence the economies of many countries in the region.
The controversy – especially in Scandinavian countries – surrounding Turkey's veto of Sweden's application for NATO membership has been analysed from various perspectives, including historical, political, gender-related, and even stupid and misogynistic accusations.
It's worth noting that even former Swedish foreign minister Ann Linde was blamed for being a woman, which supposedly made it difficult to negotiate with a state where men have held power for centuries.
Sweden's gift of a 1739 treaty to Turkey that has symbolic meaning for both nations' security didn't do much good either. It evokes centuries of history, including Sweden's King Charles XII seeking refuge at an Ottoman castle after a disastrous defeat against the Russians. Erdoğan surprised Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson with an undated letter from a Swedish envoy expressing the king's gratitude for financial help from the Ottomans and their mediation between Sweden and Russia. Learning from history and drawing lessons from it are essential if we are to avoid repeating past mistakes.
The reality is that natural gas is the new golden currency of political trade. And all this political news scenario is further evident in the article of Politico EU name:
“Russia and Turkey need each other in every field possible,” Erdoğan told CNN in an interview aired Friday, emphasizing his own “special relationship” with Russian President Putin is deepening.
“The West is not leading a very balanced approach — you need a balanced approach toward a country such as Russia,” Erdoğan said. “We are not at a point where we would impose sanctions on Russia like the West has done.
In a speech, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan described Vladimir Putin as a "dear friend" | Alexander Nemenov/Editing by Germán & CoErdoğan: I have a ‘special relationship’ with Putin — and it’s only growing
‘Russia and Turkey need each other in every field possible,’ says Turkish president.
POLITICO EU BY GABRIEL GAVIN, MAY 19, 2023 Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ♥ Vladimir Putin.
Turkey will defy pressure from the West and continue to strengthen political and economic ties with Moscow despite its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the country’s president has insisted a week before he faces voters in a tense runoff election.
“Russia and Turkey need each other in every field possible,” Erdoğan told CNN in an interview aired Friday, emphasizing his own “special relationship” with Russian President Putin is deepening.
“The West is not leading a very balanced approach — you need a balanced approach toward a country such as Russia,” Erdoğan said. “We are not at a point where we would impose sanctions on Russia like the West has done.”
Despite the country’s membership of NATO, Ankara has stepped up its economic ties with Moscow since the start of the war, increasing imports of cheap Russian oil embargoed by other European countries.
While supplying Ukraine with humanitarian assistance and its domestically made Bayraktar attack drones, Turkey has positioned itself as a neutral party in the conflict, playing host to a series of talks between the two sides.
Erdoğan has also played up his role as a broker in the recently renewed Black Sea grain deal that has allowed supplies from Ukraine’s blockaded ports to reach the global market. In a speech Wednesday, he trumpeted the success of the agreement, describing Putin as a “dear friend.”
The Russia issue has come to the fore of Turkey’s presidential elections after Erdoğan’s liberal democratic challenger, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, last week accused Moscow of having a hand in conspiracies and deep fakes designed to turn voters against him.
As neither candidate received the majority required to win the election outright last Sunday, the two will face off once again next weekend. However, with Erdoğan having attracted more than 49 percent of the vote, Kılıçdaroğlu faces an uphill battle to turn the tables on the two-decade incumbent.
In his interview with CNN, Erdoğan hinted that he is unlikely to change his foreign policy stance if he wins a new term, saying that his opposition to Sweden’s NATO membership application would continue.
“We’re not ready for Sweden right now,” he claimed, “because a NATO country should have a strong stance when it comes to fighting terrorism.”
Ankara has repeatedly accused Stockholm of turning a blind eye to members of outlawed Kurdish groups living in exile in the country, demanding Stockholm extradite dozens of “terrorists” back to Turkey as part of an agreement on its accession to the transatlantic military alliance.
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