Speaking with statements about non-recognition of the "annexation" of Crimea, Turkey is pursuing its own geopolitical goals, according to analysts interviewed by RT.

Commenting on the statements of Ukrainian politicians about the double game that Ankara is playing with regard to Kiev, experts state that the Turkish authorities have little concern for the territorial integrity of the country, which they mainly use as a market for selling their military products.

“Turkey does not consider it as a full-fledged partner, a reliable ally, it is only a political instrument.

Erdogan, relying on controversial historical grounds, believes that Crimea should belong to his country, and therefore he speaks out regarding the current ownership of the peninsula.

Support for Ukraine is an indirect effect of such a position, ”political analyst Oleksandr Asafov said.

Recently, the deputy of the Verkhovna Rada, Oleg Voloshin, accused President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of building a political line favorable to him in relations with Kiev.

The parliamentarian noted that Ankara considers Ukraine only as a market for arms supplies, and the Turkish leader himself, against the background of his statements, did not come to the Crimean Platform forum.

“Erdogan was supposed to be on the“ Crimean platform ”by rail, to me personally (the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. -

RT

) Kuleba talked about this.

I also reproached him with this that you are doing all this under Erdogan.

He says: "No, Erdogan was just the first to confirm his participation."

And he didn’t come.

And he didn’t explain himself, ”Voloshin said.

At the same time, the deputy recalled that at the end of September, the Turkish president will hold talks with Vladimir Putin in Sochi.

“Here's your whole attitude to Ukraine: buy our Bayraktars, let our companies build roads, because we give good kickbacks, but we won't respect you much,” Voloshin said on the 112 Ukraine TV channel.

Meanwhile, RT sources in Ukrainian political circles state that Kiev's attempt to form an anti-Russian coalition with Ankara has failed. 

“Everyone is already tired of the calls of the Ukrainian authorities to give them money and impose sanctions against Russia, although Ukraine itself is not ready for compromises.

Erdogan takes a sober view of this situation and, it seems to me, is trying to squeeze the maximum out of it.

If we assume that Russia suddenly abandons Crimea, then Turkey will immediately lay claim to it, and will not advocate for it to become Ukrainian, ”said a deputy from the Servant of the People party.

In turn, the interlocutor of RT from the Batkivshchyna party called Ukrainian officials who were counting on real support from Turkey naive.

“For some reason, everyone around believes that the EU, the US and Turkey should support Ukraine to the detriment of their interests.

The Russian market is also extremely valuable for Turkish producers, which is why Erdogan is in dialogue with Putin.

The Kiev authorities could also act in the interests of their country and its citizens, but instead they offer other states to take responsibility for Ukraine.

Is it any surprise that the so-called partners of Kiev regularly use it for their own purposes, ”the politician said.

Arms trade

Over the past few years, Ankara has increased its military-technical cooperation with Kiev.

Back in 2015, a delegation of the defense concern Ukroboronprom, which unites 130 military-industrial complex enterprises, paid a visit to Turkey.

The parties agreed to sign a memorandum of cooperation, as well as to start implementing joint projects in the future.

As a result of Petro Poroshenko's trip to Ankara in March 2016, the Turkish president provided Kiev with a consignment of military equipment worth $ 810,000. For his part, Poroshenko invited Ankara to take part in the privatization of Ukrainian industrial facilities.

In 2016, the parties created a joint group on the coordination of military-technical cooperation, and in early 2017, a strategic memorandum of cooperation in the military-industrial complex was signed between the Ukroboronprom concern and the Turkish authorities.

Also in 2017, the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers approved an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the military-financial sphere, concluded earlier with Turkey, and a protocol providing for Kiev to receive financing in the amount of $ 15 million in 2017-2021. These funds were intended for the purchase of the Turkish military-industrial complex products by the Ukrainian side. ... The agreement also provided for short-term training of the Ukrainian military at the training centers of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Turkey.

Recently, one of the central and most widely discussed in the media aspects of military-technical cooperation between the two countries has become the supply of Turkish Bayraktar attack drones to Ukraine.

In 2019, even under Poroshenko, Bayraktar TB2 strike UAVs and high-precision ammunition were purchased for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In 2020 and 2021, the Ukrainian military conducted tests of these drones, including in the Donbass and in the Black Sea.

It is worth noting that in the same 2019, but already under Vladimir Zelensky, the NSDC of Ukraine announced the creation of a joint venture with Turkey, which was supposed to be focused on the creation of drones.

However, the production of Bayraktar has not yet been launched, and Kiev continues to buy them from Turkey.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said earlier that he "counts" on the appearance of the Bayraktar plant in the country.

In addition, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Valery Zaluzhny said that in 2021 and 2022 Ukraine plans to purchase four more Bayraktar complexes - that is, 24 UAVs.

He said that now the Ukrainian military has only two such complexes with twelve drones - one for the air force and one for the naval forces.

At the same time, drones are not the only type of weapons that Turkey intends to sell to Ukraine.

So, in July, Kiev and Ankara signed an agreement on the construction of two Ada-class corvettes for the needs of the Ukrainian Navy.

  • Project Ada lead ship

  • Reuters

  • © Osman Orsal

According to the "Ukrainian Militar Portal", Kiev in 2021 allocated 3.8 billion hryvnia ($ 142.2 million) for this project.

Earlier, Zelensky said that the hull of the first corvette has allegedly been laid in Turkey, and the ship will be ready by the end of 2023.

However, a RT source in the Armed Forces of Ukraine believes that the weapons that Kiev buys from Turkey are not capable of significantly increasing the combat capability of the Ukrainian army.

“Nobody supplies us with modern complexes, fearing that here they will simply fail.

In addition, ten drones cannot in any way affect the combat capability of the army; for this, hundreds of such devices are needed.

But no one will provide so many of them.

So all this is just political statements, and not real military assistance, "said the interlocutor of RT.

Crimean question

In April 2021, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned all countries, including Turkey, against fueling Kiev's militant sentiments by selling weapons and military equipment to the Ukrainian side.

“We strongly recommend to all responsible countries with which we communicate - Turkey is one of them - to analyze the situation, the eternal militant statements of the Kiev regime, and warn them against feeding these militaristic sentiments,” Lavrov said.

  • Turkish attack drone Bayraktar at a military parade in Kiev

  • Reuters

  • © Gleb Garanich

In a response from the Turkish side, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusogl assured that the supply of Bayraktar TB2 drums was not directed against Russia.

“We sell drones to whoever requests, we have no preconditions.

This deal with Ukraine is not directed against Russia.

If Russia has a need for our products, then just as we bought the S-400 from it, we will also sell our products to it, ”he said.

Let us remind you that Turkey has consistently stated that it does not recognize the entry of Crimea into Russia, calling it "annexation".

Erdogan once again confirmed this position, speaking at the UN General Assembly.

In addition, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that the results of the elections to the State Duma held on the peninsula have no legal force for Ankara.

Commenting on this position, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted that Russia will not disregard Turkey's statements on non-recognition of the parliamentary elections.

In turn, Alexander Asafov, in an interview with RT, expressed the opinion that Erdogan "does not have a fundamental task to protect the interests of Ukraine, he just takes advantage of the situation."

“Undoubtedly, the president is looking for any markets for the supply of his promising developments, primarily the Bayraktar drones.

But it cannot be considered that the products of the Turkish military-industrial complex are not in demand, it is just that there is high competition in this market, and weapons from the USA and Europe prevail in it.

Turkey is interested in Ukraine, because it is ready to buy Turkish weapons, even though it has little money, ”the analyst says.

A similar opinion is shared by military expert Alexei Leonkov.

“Erdogan uses Ukraine to sell his military products, especially since the Turkish economy requires investments.

But Kiev expected much more support from Turkey, which, among other things, would be much cheaper than the Ukrainian budget.

Moreover, Ukraine is very fond of partner countries, which only give and do not demand anything in return, ”Leonkov believes.

At the same time, according to him, the position of Kiev or Ankara on the ownership of Crimea, no matter what motives it may be dictated, cannot affect the fact that the peninsula is a subject of the Russian Federation.

“History does not turn back, the population of Crimea made their choice back in 2014, after which the peninsula became an integral part of the Russian Federation,” concluded Leonkov.