Türkiye 'emerges' as a major diplomatic player in Ukraine conflict

Türkiye has emerged as a key "swing player" in the protracted Russia-Ukraine conflict, an analyst has argued in the Foreign Policy publication, highlighting Ankara's involvement as a diplomatic mediator.

Eugene Chausovsky, a senior analyst at the Newlines Institute, also stressed Türkiye's role in resuming grain shipments from Ukrainian ports.

"Ankara has long sought to leverage its strategic position at the intercontinental crossroads between Europe and Asia as well as emphasise the concept of connectivity," Chausovsky's analysis said.

It pointed out that Türkiye "serves as a vital transit corridor for key resources like energy and food supplies, and this corridor has become all the more important given the economic and trade disruptions of Russia’s war in Ukraine".

"Under the leadership of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ankara has leveraged both forms of connectivity to enhance its position as a regional power, one that doesn’t fit neatly into either the pro-Western or pro-Russian camp," Chausovsky said of Türkiye's balanced approach.

While avoiding joining Western sanctions against Moscow, Türkiye has "broadly supported NATO’s position on providing security support for Ukraine..." Chausovsky said.

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'A lesson for the West'

Chausovsky wrote that the Turkish strategy produced meaningful results.

"As grain shipments are now underway, Ukrainian officials have floated expanding the deal to include the export of other goods, such as metals. Such progress offers an important lesson for the West when it comes to dealing with Russia," he added.

He said perhaps Türkiye’s most consequential role has been as a mediator over the "grain and food supply issue", adding that Ankara was able to seize on an opportunity where both Ukraine and Russia benefited from cooperation.

On July 22, Türkiye-brokered landmark deal was signed in Istanbul with the participation of the United Nations, Russia and Ukraine. It was aimed at reopening three Ukrainian Black Sea ports for exporting Ukrainian grain stuck due to the conflict, which is now in its sixth month.

To oversee the process, a Joint Coordination Centre in Istanbul was launched on July 27, comprising representatives from the three countries and the UN to enable safe transportation of commercial foods items and fertilisers by merchant ships.

READ MORE: Two more ships carrying grain leave Ukraine's ports