Bagdasarov explained why Turkey closed the sky for Russian flights to Syria
“Ankara is acting within its own interests”
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Turkey is closing its skies to Russian military and civilian aircraft flying to Syria. He told this to reporters on Saturday during his tour of Latin America.
Semyon Bagdasarov, a leading Russian political scientist, historian, expert on the problems of the Middle East and Central Asia, explained to MK what the reason for such a decision was and what it means for us.
Semyon Bagdasarov. Photo: TV broadcast frame.
Speaking to reporters, Cavusoglu clarified that the decision made does not mean that Turkey is joining the anti-Russian sanctions of the West. According to him, earlier permits for such flights were issued every three months and renewed each time. The last permit expires in April, after flights will be suspended, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Russian President Vladimir Putin. Cavusoglu also noted that Turkey is in dialogue with Russia regarding the implementation of the Montreux Convention and other issues.
“This should have been expected from Turkey for a long time,” Semyon Bagdasarov told MK. – Such a decision may indicate that the Americans have promised something to the Turks, and they are acting within their own interests. All this, in general, was a matter of time. We should never forget that Turkey is a member of NATO. In addition, Turkey is much more dependent on the US economy than on the Russian economy. And the Americans are very good at manipulating this. In addition, I do not rule out that the decision of the Turkish authorities is connected with the possibility of starting hostilities in northern Syria. For us, the flight ban will mean the difficulty of urgent deliveries to our Turkish bases in Khmeimim and Tartus. It is one thing to deliver by air, and another thing is by sea, until our fleet comes up there! That is, now it will be very difficult for us to transfer something there by air. Thank God they haven't closed the straits yet. But I wouldn't be surprised if they try to shut them down somehow. I do not rule out that the reason for this decision is also that from Khmeimim part of the aviation that is located there is being transferred to the special operation zone. Thus, Turkey counteracts this: it closed the sky and now try to fly. This was to be expected from a NATO country.