President Erdogan to meet Putin again as Turkey threatens to block NATO expansion
Following a meeting between the two leaders in Tehran on July 19, the Turkish president announced that he would be meeting the Russian leader again in Sochi, Russia, on Aug. 5, according to Reuters.
Erdogan has positioned himself as a mediator in the Russo-Ukrainian War because his country is on good terms with Kyiv and Moscow. He helped to create a recent deal allowing for much-needed Ukrainian grain shipments to leave Odesa harbor, previously blocked by both Ukrainian naval mines and a Russian blockade. Turkey is using the war to increase its influence by establishing itself as a vital stakeholder in maintaining a wider balance of power, according to Iliya Kusa of the Wilson Center.
"I would like to remind once again that if these countries do not take the necessary steps to fulfill our conditions, we will freeze the process. Our stance on this issue is very clear. The rest is up to them," the Turkish president said, according to the Associated Press. There are hints that he could go through with this threat because in recent days, Turkey reportedly summoned Sweden's charges d'affaires over allowing what it called"terrorist propaganda" at a Kurdish protest in Stockholm, according to Reuters.It was not revealed if Turkey discussed the Nordic countries' bid to join NATO in the Tehran summit with Russia and Iran on July 19 or if the topic is planned for discussion on Aug. 5.
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