Erdogan: Turkey’s Eastward Ties Won’t Break Its Western Bonds

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking after a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Kyrgyzstan, said Turkey’s growing relations with Russia and China do not signal a break from the West as Ankara seeks full SCO membership. He and Putin discussed deeper nuclear cooperation, and Erdogan urged a peaceful end to the Ukraine war while stressing Black Sea maritime security. He also noted Turkey’s pivotal role in the 2022 grain deal and framed the SCO bid as a way to diversify influence without abandoning Western alliances.