The new edition of "Turkey Today" panels organized by the Turkish Presidency’s Directorate of Communications was held on April 4 in the Russian Federation. The Kremlin's Directorate of Communications also followed the panel.
The new series of “Turkey Today" panels launched by the Directorate of Communications last September in the major capitals throughout the world were held at Valdai Discussion Club in Moscow on April 4.
Valdai Program Director Dr. Ivan Timofeev moderated the panel entitled "Turkey-Russia Relations During the Syria Process”. Strategic Research Director at Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA) Assoc. Prof. Hasan Basri Yalçın; European Research Director Dr. Enes Bayraklı and Researcher Dr. Hüseyin Alptekin joined the panel as speakers.
During the panel, topics including how Turkey and Russia jointly ensured close cooperation again by overcoming the aircraft crisis in 2015, the future of the relations between the two countries and their strategies in Syria were discussed. The way how the two countries interact with the current administration in Syria and the efforts that should be exerted to maintain peace in Syria were also taken up.
It was emphasized that even though they have different views on many issues as two major actors striving to restore peace in Syria, Turkey and Russia are determined to coordinate their positions and their interests, to be vigilant and commit to a pragmatic policy execution, and will further strengthen the future of bilateral relations.
The panel, held with the participation of Turkey’s Ambassador to Moscow Mehmet Samsar, and to which members of the press, academics and think tanks showed great interest, was followed by Kremlin Directorate of Communications Deputy Chairman Oleg Tsatsourine and Senior Advisor Tatiana Mazanova, officials from Russia International Relations Council, Russian Foreign Ministry Departments of Turkey and Syria, and Valdai Chairman Andrey Bystritskiy.
Assoc. Prof. Hasan Basri Yalçın noted that the PYD is a threat not only for the future of Syria but also for Turkey and if the traditional allies do not understand the Turkey's perpetuity problem, then Turkey will do its part. Yalçın emphasized that every terrorist organization in Syria should be tackled and that a definite solution cannot be reached in Syria without completely clearing it from terrorist organizations.
Stating that Turkey's main concern is to ensure the territorial integrity of Syria, Yalçın underlined that in case of the realization of a terror corridor on Turkey’s borders, stability in the region will not be reached. Yalçın added that the world is undergoing a period of change and the emergence of the power gap could trigger new crises.
In his speech Dr. Enes Bayraklı stated that Russia-Turkey cooperation in Syria is in the best interest of Europe and that it has prevented a possible influx of refugees to EU countries. Stating that Turkey has no problems with the Kurds and that its main aim is to fight terrorism, Bayraklı stressed that PYD's efforts to build an autonomous region on Turkey’s borders, would have negative consequences on the entire region, including Iraq, Syria and Iran.
In the panel Dr. Hüseyin Alptekin stated that there were three misconceptions related to PYD at the international level; the first being the perception that the PYD is the representative of the Kurds, the second being that PYD is considered a threat only to Syria and the third being the perception operation that it is too late to fight against the PYD.
