Political scientist explained Turkey’s request to defer payments for Russian gas

The country seeks to show that its importance for Russia is growing

On October 3, Bloomberg reported that Turkish oil and gas company Botas had asked Russia to defer some payments for Russian gas until 2024. Political scientist Andrei Kortunov considers this an expected step against the backdrop of a difficult economic period in Turkey, and also given the fact that the country is approaching presidential elections, which bring a certain instability to the situation.

In conversation with “Evening Moscow” Kortunov noted that the economic situation in Turkey is difficult, and inflation is measured by tens of percent a year, especially against the background of the fact that Erdogan is waiting for re-elections this year. According to the political scientist, with his intention to get a reprieve from the Russian Federation, the Turkish leader seeks to show that there is positive news in the economic sphere, and everything is not as bad as analysts describe.

In addition, as the expert noted, Turkey thereby seeks to show that its importance for Russia is growing, since the Nord Stream is suspended, the fate of Ukrainian gas is incomprehensible, and, as Turkey believes, it is becoming the only gas transit hub to the West for Russia. Based on this, according to the political scientist, Erdogan will emphasize the role of the country as a springboard for the sale of Russian energy resources.

In addition, Kortunov recalled that Turkey continues to be an intermediary country between the Russian Federation and Ukraine in the settlement of relations, the sale of grain and other strategic issues, so Erdogan will use all his trump cards to the maximum in order to achieve the deal he needs.

However, according to the expert, it is now “absolutely unclear” how Moscow will react to the request of the Turkish leader, and this issue, presumably, will be resolved with the participation of the two presidents. The political scientist does not rule out that a certain format of barter or trade will be the solution, since Russia is currently not ready for such “generous gifts” as deferrals on bills.

Moreover, Kortunov added that if Erdogan is not re-elected, the question will arise as to whether it will be possible to maintain relations with the new leader and the previously reached agreements. The political scientist concluded that Ankara will do its best to achieve profitable deals with Moscow, but it is unlikely that it will succeed to the extent that it assumes.

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