'Will end with agreement': Expert explains whether Türkiye opposes Ukraine's NATO membership
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (photo: Getty Images)
Türkiye is unlikely to seriously block Ukraine's NATO membership process if it receives an official invitation to join the Alliance, as Türkiye itself is interested in a strong bloc, states Serhii Dzherdzh, Head of the Public League Ukraine-NATO, in a comment to the RBC-Ukraine YouTube channel.
According to him, it cannot be said that Türkiye is against Ukraine's NATO membership, as there have been no official statements to that effect.
"Türkiye understands that Ukraine is a neighboring country and it is very important to maintain relations. And if it comes to strengthening NATO, why not strengthen it?" the expert noted.
He also reminded that in 2022, there were some hesitations regarding Finland and Sweden, but this was due to a desire for Türkiye to have certain issues addressed.
"And it is clear that (in the case of Ukraine – ed.) everything will end in agreement. Because Ukraine's accession means strengthening Ukraine," Dzherdzh added.
Türkiye's position on Ukraine's NATO membership
Officially, Türkiye is not opposed to Ukraine's NATO membership. Recently, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that his country intends to consider this issue without haste.
At the same time, he emphasized that the US and some other Alliance members do not support Ukraine's accession. "These are not questions to be rushed. And when making our minds, when we are taking our decisions, we always take into consideration the stance of other NATO member states, we discuss those possible questions around the table and make the final decision accordingly," Erdoğan said.
Among other things, Erdoğan positions himself as a potential mediator in the Russia-Ukraine war. It was previously reported that he even wanted to present his plan for freezing the conflict.
According to Bloomberg, this plan involves halting discussions on Ukraine's NATO membership for 10 years as a concession to Vladimir Putin. It also includes the creation of a demilitarized zone in eastern Ukraine, the deployment of international forces, and security guarantees.
Recently, Erdoğan discussed the Russia-Ukraine war with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. The Turkish President's office stated that the parties raised the issue of what could be done to bring an end to the conflict. However, the details remain unclear.
