Ukraine-Russia war reminded West of Turkiye's importance, says former Italian envoy

By Baris Seckin

ROME (AA) – A former Italian ambassador to Turkiye on Wednesday said the significance of the Turkish strategic role is clear, but sometimes the West forgets.

Carlo Marsili, Italy’s ambassador to Turkiye from 2004 to 2010, remains a key figure for Italian officials when they need guidance for relations with Ankara.

In an interview with Anadolu Agency, Marsili shared his views on Turkiye's mediator role in the Russia-Ukraine war along with bilateral ties between Ankara and Rome, and the issue of energy.

Ankara has handled the crisis very well as it made smart moves, he said, adding that its trade and political ties with both Ukraine and Russia helped it take this mediator role.

Saying that any country striving for mediation between two conflicting parties has to take a balanced approach while openly supporting neither, Marsili said Turkiye managed to take a balanced stance and this paved the way for the March 10 Ukrainian and Russian foreign ministers' meeting at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum and their negotiation teams' meeting later in Istanbul.

Turkiye has regained its image in the world, he said, adding that no other country was able to make such significant progress to bring Russia and Ukraine together to tackle their differences.

The war has once again reminded the world of Turkiye's geostrategic importance, according to Marsili, who said the country's position was sometimes forgotten despite Ankara's role in the Middle East, Syrian civil war, Afghanistan, the Balkans, and several other regions.

Stressing that Turkiye is located in a riskier and less peaceful part of the world compared to other NATO member states, he said the country could not be expected to follow the rules strictly at all times.

As for its position within the Atlantic alliance, he said Turkiye needs privilege in line with its geographic position, which would benefit Western countries as seen in the case of the Russia-Ukraine war.

- Cooperation between Italy, France, and Turkiye

The seasoned diplomat also commented on a recent meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, saying the talks were long enough to discuss a wide range of issues, including the Eurosam SAMP/T air defense system.

Marsili said in years past the trio had come to an agreement on the defense system, but a standstill from the French side hampered the process.

Given recent Turkish-French rapprochement, the two countries might have come to terms in this regard, he said, adding that Italy could play a mediator role when Ankara and Paris face issues.

- Energy and Eastern Mediterranean

The crisis in Ukraine has yet again demonstrated the EU dependence on Russian fossil fuels to meet its energy needs.

The retired diplomat underlined that EU countries, Germany in particular, highly depend on Russian gas and that regardless of developments in Ukraine, they should not rely solely on a single country for energy exports.

He added that the EU’s energy dependence on Russia is likely to continue for few more years and is unlikely to be completely eliminated in the coming year or two, saying that the US promise to provide energy is far more costly than the Russian alternative.

On the diversification of energy resources, he said Turkiye should be included in all energy research in the Eastern Mediterranean in line with its geographical location and rights, and that it would be ludicrous to exclude a country with coastline of 1,750 kilometers (1,087 miles).

According to Marsili, the Cyprus issue stands at the heart of the Eastern Mediterranean issue and the EU should sooner or later understand that there are two different state structures as well as communities on the island – Turkish and Greek Cypriots – and that recognizing the reality on the ground will help solve the problem.

* Writing by Ali Murat Alhas