Turkey: Improving Ties With West Will Not Harm Relations With Russia

Comments hitting wires from a senior Turkish official stating that, "Turkey will not harm ties with Russia while improving relations with the west," after Turkish President Recep Erdogan's decision to unlock Sweden's NATO membership threatens to drive a wedge between Moscow and its most consequential partner in NATO.

• The Turkish official stated that Turkey will develop a "reasonable" relationship with the US "as much as possible" adding that the, "West needs to side with turkey in its need for financial resources."
• The official said that Turkey expects the EU reform group to be revived after Erdogan's last-minute maneuver to link Sweden's NATO bid with Turkey's EU aspirations, stating Turkey expects, "concrete progress" on visa-free travel and "closing some chapters" for EU accession.
• Turkey is a candidate country for EU expansion but progress stalled in 2018, "due to continuing backsliding in reforms in the key areas... in particular in the functioning of the democratic system, respect for fundamental rights and independence of the judiciary."
• In June 2022, the European Council, "expressed deep concern about repeated actions and statements by Türkiye and recalled its previous conclusions."