‘Turkey Today’ panel held in Moscow

ANKARA

The Communications Directorate of the Turkish Presidency held a “Turkey Today” discussion panel as part of a series of events organized in strategically key countries for Turkey in the Russian capital on April 4.

Speakers from the Russian think-tank Valdai Discussion Club and Turkey’s Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA) attended the “Turkey-Russia Relations in the Syria Process” panel moderated by Valdai program director Ivan Timofeev.

The PYD, a Syrian affiliate of the outlawed PKK, poses threats not only to the future of Syria, but also Turkey, said SETA strategy director Hasan Basri Yalçın at the panel.

Turkey will do whatever it needs to if its traditional allies fail to understands ins issue of existence, he said, adding that a concrete solution to the Syria issue cannot be introduced before terrorist groups are cleared of the country.

Europe benefits from the Turkish-Russian cooperation in Syria, SETA director of European Studies Enes Bayraklı said, adding that these efforts prevent a further migrant flow from the war-torn country to European Union territories.

The PYD efforts to found an autonomous region in Iraq, Syria and Iran would have negative effects on the whole region, he said.

Academic Hüseyin Alptekin agreed on the threats posed by the PYD, adding that there is an international misunderstanding that the group represents the Kurds in Syria

Turkey’s Ambassador to Moscow Mehmet Samsar, diplomats and other officials from Russia were present at the event.

The “Turkey Today” events were launched in New York in September last year ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, as it went on with panels in Berlin, Buenos Aires, London, Beijing and Shanghai.

The latest panel came ahead of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Moscow for a summit with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on April 8.