Turkiye’s international status grew after Russia-Ukraine war: Ex-Greek premier

By Ahmet Gencturk

ANKARA (AA) – Turkiye’s international status has significantly increased in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war, according to Alexis Tsipras, the former prime minister of Greece.

The government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis took a clear anti-Russian and pro-Western policy in an attempt to enhance Greece’s standing, Tsipras said in an interview with private broadcaster Crete TV.

However, their plan to raise Greece’s importance and damage Turkiye’s position did not work out, he added.

Tsipras’ comments were a nod to Ankara’s unrelenting push to use its unique position of having friendly relations with both Moscow and Kyiv to secure a halt in hostilities.

Top Turkish officials led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have spearheaded efforts to end the war, winning widespread acclaim from the global community.

Last month, Turkiye hosted talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul, which were preceded by a meeting of the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers in the southern resort city of Antalya.

After the Istanbul meeting, Kyiv also voiced its desire for Turkiye to be among the countries that will be guarantors in any deal with Moscow.

Tsipras, who leads the main opposition party Syriza, said Mitsotakis and his government abandoned Greece’s traditional role as a regional pillar of stability and its principles of a multidimensional foreign policy.

“I am afraid that this is a negative development for the country’s foreign policy and the sole responsibility for this lies with Mr. Mitsotakis,” he said.

The type of aid that the Mitsotakis government chose to send to Ukraine, military instead of humanitarian, symbolizes that Greece is part of the war and this crisis, he added.