Turkey Shifts Rhetoric on Ukraine Conflict, Paving Way for Stronger Action Against Russia

Strategic Insights -

As the Russian military operation against Ukraine has turned into a full-blown war, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has announced that the country will apply the Montreux Convention, which regulates the passage of ships into and out of the Black Sea. This shift in rhetoric suggests that Turkey may be ready to take stronger action against Russia in support of Ukraine. On Saturday, a phone call took place between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in which Zelenskiy thanked Erdogan for his support in the ongoing war with Russia.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Montreux Convention will be applied as the Russian military operation against Ukraine has turned into a war, according to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu.
  • Turkey's cabinet will convene on Monday to discuss developments regarding Ukraine and the impact of the crisis on Turkey, including options to mediate for Russia to end its military operations in Ukraine.
  • Turkish Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun has stated that the Turkey-Russia-Ukraine crisis could have been prevented if the UN system had been reformed, and Türkiye will continue to work for a quick and peaceful resolution of the conflict.
  • The Ukrainian embassy in Turkey has praised Turkey's Bayraktar TB2 drones for their prowess in striking a Russian military convoy, labeling it "Mashallah to Bayraktar TB2 UCAVs".
  • First group of Turkish citizens evacuated from Ukraine by land entered Turkey from Bulgaria on Sunday, following protests against Turkish Airlines and private airline Pegasus more than doubling ticket prices.
  • The Turkish Foreign Ministry has been criticized for not being responsive to requests for assistance from stranded Turkish citizens at the Polish border.
  • A total of 64 civilians have been killed and 176 injured according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) since Russian troops entered Ukraine.
  • Over 160,000 people have been internally displaced and 116,000 forced to flee to neighboring countries, with the number of Ukrainians fleeing the country later updated to 368,000.
  • EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced that the bloc will provide military assistance to Ukraine, including the purchase and delivery of weapons, and has also banned all Russian aircraft from entering EU airspace.

Statistics:

  • A total of 64 civilians have been killed since Russian troops entered Ukraine.
  • 176 civilians have been injured since Russian troops entered Ukraine.
  • Over 160,000 people have been internally displaced.
  • 116,000 people have been forced to flee to neighboring countries.
  • 368,000 Ukrainians have fled the country.
  • 4 Russian banks have been removed from the SWIFT international payment system, making up 70% of Russia's banking sector.
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the Russian military to put its nuclear deterrence forces on high alert.

Sources:

  • Ahval News
  • Associated Press
  • Anadolu Agency
  • Reuters
  • CNN Türk
  • U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)