“I found a solution”
Erdogan misses Merkel in the Ukraine conflict
2/4/2022 1:36 p.m
Turkey maintains good relations with Russia and Ukraine. President Erdogan sits between the chairs and wants to be the mediator. The Turkish head of state wants ex-Chancellor Merkel back for a number of reasons.
After his visit to Kiev, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the West of lacking leadership in solving the Ukraine conflict. “In the past, (ex-Chancellor Angela) Merkel arrived and held the key to solving the problem. There is no such leader at the moment,” Erdogan said, according to a report by the state news agency Anadolu. After her departure, Europe is suffering from serious problems at management level. “Unfortunately, the West has so far failed to make anything like a contribution to solving the conflict,” said Erdogan. US President Joe Biden has not yet shown a “positive approach”.
Erdogan has offered to mediate between Russia and Ukraine. While Kiev accepted the offer, the reaction from Moscow was cautious. However, there are said to be bilateral meetings between Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin, an exact date has not yet been set. He attaches great importance to the meeting with Putin, Erdogan said. Should Turkey be given the role of mediator after the meeting, the task would be happily attempted.
Turkey maintains close ties with Russia and Ukraine. For example, Russia supplies the resource-poor country with gas. Ankara sells combat drones to Ukraine, and according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, production is to be established in Ukraine. Millions of tourists from both countries also come to Turkey every year.
Because of the massive Russian troop deployment on the border with Ukraine, the West fears that Russia could attack the neighboring country. The USA, Germany and other Western countries have threatened Moscow with severe sanctions in this case. On Sunday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz is leaving for his inaugural visit to Washington, where he intends to discuss the Ukraine crisis with US President Biden. On February 15, Scholz will be with Putin in Moscow.