The Foreign Minister of Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu recently declared that there are several nations in NATO who want to prolong the Russo-Ukrainian conflict.
“There are countries in the West that want the war to continue, with NATO member states among them. I mean not only the US but also NATO member countries. There were also those who wanted to sabotage the grain agreement. Yet this wasn’t the US. The US contributed [to the conclusion of the grain deal], including lifting restrictions on the exports of Russian fertilizers, unblocking ports and [lifting restrictions] on banking operations. Yet there were also European countries who wanted to sabotage this. We are not losing hope and continuing our efforts,” Cavusoglu remarked during an interview on Haber Global TV channel.
Initially, an agreement was signed towards the end of July in Istanbul to solve the issue of food and fertilizer shipments for global trade.
Russia and the United Nations forged a memorandum where the UN will work towards easing restrictions placed on Russia’s ability to export agricultural products and fertilizers.
Russian-state media outlet TAAS noted that in another document there are new plans for exporting grain from Black Sea ports that Ukraine controls. Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Nations reached an agreement that establishes a four-party coordination center to inspect ships transporting grain in order to prevent weapons smuggling and potential false flag attacks.
Turkey is a seasoned geopolitical hedger that seeks to play great powers against one another while it advances its own interests. This controversial geopolitical strategy coupled with Turkey’s authoritarian political culture and growing Islamism makes it stick out like a sore thumb among its NATO counterparts.
With Turkey using its hedging strategy with Russia, American policymakers may finally have enough with Turkey and start laying the groundwork for its expulsion from NATO — a move that would be a geopolitical earthquake.
Undoubtedly, a geopolitical shakeup of epic proportions is on the horizon. By the end of the 2020s, the international system will no longer look the same.