Turkiye will not join the West’s anti-Russian sanctions over the Ukrainian crisis, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Sunday.
Kalin said it was not possible that its country join the United States-led Western sanctions against Russia because, it has more adverse effects to doing so than can be imagined.
He said the interest of Turkiye is more paramount as joining the West in its anti-Russian sanctions will do more harms to its economy than Russia.
“We are conducting a well-balanced policy in respect of Russia. We are not imposing sanctions and will not join them. We must observe our own interests. If everyone ruins the bridges, who will be speaking with Russia then?
“Our economic relations with Russia have such character that sanctions will do more harm to Turkiye’s economy than to Russia’s. We have a clear position (on the matter of sanctions). The West has not accepted it,” he said in an interview with the Haberturk television channel.
In a separate report, the Turkish spokesman reportedly said the Russian operations in Ukraine cannot be justified but that they are definitely not unprovoked.
