Erdogan criticizes ‘provocative’ Western policies towards Russia
Belgrade, Sep 7 (EFE).- Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday that he does not believe that the “provocative” policies of the West towards Russia are the correct approach, after the European Union proposed a cap on the price of Russian oil and gas.
Erdogan was speaking after a meeting in Belgrade with his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic.
“I don’t want to mention names, but there are some countries in the West which, we consider, do not have a correct approach and which is based on instigations, and such provocative policies cannot achieve results,” Erdogan said.
The Turkish leader said that his country would continue its policy-balancing act between Russia and Ukraine, who are embroiled in a conflict in which “there can be no winner, but there are a large number of losers.”
Erdogan dismissed claims from Western powers of the amount of financial aid they have allocated to Ukraine as “just words,” while also downplaying the military support Ukraine has received from the West. “They have sent them all the scrap metal they have,” he said.
“So far we have maintained our policy, tried to analyze the different approaches and understand whether this war can end soon, but it does not seem that it will end soon,” said the Turkish president, who urged the international community “not to underestimate Russia.”
“Russia has stopped supplying natural gas and prices have gone up, and now everyone is trying to find a way to survive the winter,” he said.
Erdogan did suggest, however, that he expects a solution will be found so that the war can end and the world can live in peace.
The Turkish President met in Belgrade with Vucic to discuss bilateral relations and the regional geopolitical situation.
Serbia is the second stop of his tour of the Balkans, which began on Tuesday in Bosnia Herzegovina and will conclude Thursday in Croatia. EFE
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