Turkey has taken on the role of a mediator in the Russia-Ukraine War. While providing support to Ukraine, including the sale of advanced drones, Turkey has maintained its relations with Moscow, declining to join its Western allies in sanctions and tempering its rhetoric against its important trading partner. As a result, on March 10, Turkey hosted the first ministerial-level meeting between Russia and Ukraine since the invasion began in late February. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov were joined by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in Antalya.
To learn more about Turkey’s importance to Ukraine, Turkey’s stance towards the conflict and its efforts towards mediation, Atlantic Council IN TURKEY Associate Director Grady Wilson conducted an in-depth interview with Yevgeniya Gaber, a nonresident senior fellow at the Carleton University Centre in Modern Turkish Studies.
Yevgeniya Gaber is a nonresident senior fellow at Carleton University’s Centre in Modern Turkish Studies and a former foreign policy advisor to the prime minister of Ukraine. Follow her on Twitter @GaberYevgeniya.
The views expressed in TURKEYSource are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Atlantic Council, its staff, or its supporters.
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Image: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba speaks during a news conference after meeting with his counterparts Russian Sergei Lavrov and Turkish Mevlut Cavusoglu, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Antalya, Turkey March 10, 2022. REUTERS/Murad Sezer