WSJ: Turkey's sales of UAV Bayraktar to Ukraine outraged Moscow
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his Ukrainian counterpart Vladimir Zelensky that Moscow was outraged by the sale of Turkish UAVs to Kiev. The conversation between the heads of state took place on April 10, 2021, when the Ukrainian leader flew on a visit to Turkish soil, but the details became known only recently, the American newspaper Wall Street Journal writes, citing its sources.
It should be noted that during the aforementioned visit, Zelensky proposed Erdogan has half of the shares of the recently nationalized engine-building company Motor Sich. At the same time, an informed person informed the publication that Erdogan told Zelensky about the pressure from Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Allegedly, Ankara was threatened from Moscow that if the Turks did not give up the sale of Bayraktar-TB2 drones, the Russians would extend the ban on flights to Turkey. In Russia, they are worried that the "Bayraktars" can be used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Donbass against the LPR and DPR as strike weapons.
Citing an increase in COVID-19 cases in Turkey, Russia suspended most air travel between the two countries in April until June 1. As a result, Turkey has lost the Russian tourists who come here during the May holidays.
- clarified the WSJ.
Note that at the end of May, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu I visited Athens, not showing friendly feelings towards the Turks. This did not stop the head of the Turkish Foreign Ministry from telling the Greeks that Ankara is conducting an honest arms business with Kiev, so Moscow has no right to make claims by supplying its weapons to Damascus.
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