The Treaty on the Principles of Relations between the Republic of Turkey and the Russian Federation, signed in 1992, established the basis of relations between the two countries. In 2001, Turkish and Russian foreign affairs ministers signed the Eurasia Cooperation Action Plan. During Putin's visit to Ankara in 2004, a joint declaration was signed targeting the enhancement of friendship and multidimensional cooperation. Bilateral relations have been carried out on 12 different levels as part of the consultation program between the two countries. Cultural ties were strengthened with the events held in 2007, when the Year of Russian Culture was celebrated in Turkey, and 2008, when the Year of Turkish Culture was celebrated in Russia.
Russian-Turkish ties were repaired quickly following the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Turks no longer have the negative image of Russia as their enemy that was prevalent during the Cold War.
Turkish intellectuals perceive the Russian Federation as a strong alternative to strained relations with the West. It is an important financial door for Turkish businessmen. There are around 10,000 Russian women married to Turkish citizens and living in Turkey. Russian tourists, last estimated to be 3 million in 2008, visit Turkey, easily obtaining a visa at the border. Russian radio stations broadcast in Turkey, some newspapers are printed in Russian and several schools offer entire curriculums in Russian. Relations are particularly strong in the Black Sea region, as the Black Sea Harmony movement and the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) are outstanding examples of good relations between the two countries.
While Russian-Turkish relations improve a bit more each year, the same cannot be said for Turkish-Russian relations. While Ankara has forgotten about the Cold War, Moscow has not. Russian schoolbooks still portray a negative image of Turkey, and obtaining a visa, or getting through customs, is still a hassle for Turks.
The situation is even worse for Turkish intellectuals (such as journalists and academicians). It is only a matter of seconds before a Turkish intellectual is labeled an "agent," just like in the Cold War period. The Russian Federation has shown no sign of changing its stance on the Cyprus issue and has not listed the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)/Kongra-Gel as a terrorist organization. The matter of terror has been relegated to the bottom of its agenda. A closer look at the foreign trade volume between the two countries shows Russia at an advantage. While Russia was Turkey's top trade partner in 2008, Turkey was Russia's number seven trade partner. The total trade volume between Russian and Turkey was $38 billion in 2008. But while Turkey's exports were worth $6.5 billion, Russia's were worth $31.5 billion. Turkey imports 65 percent (22 billion cubic meters) of its natural gas and 25 percent (8 million tons) of its oil from Russia. Therefore, Turkey is also developing a growing dependency on Russian energy resources, including coal. Moscow has not completely resolved the delay Turkish trucks experience at the customs border, and although some measures have been adopted to make customs controls for Turkish goods easier, problems remain.
President Gül's visit to Moscow is important with respect to the future of Russian-Turkish ties. As the weight of the global crisis will bear more heavily in 2009, restarting goods and services trade in return for importing gas, strengthening the Eurasia Cooperation Action Plan and accelerating the Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform will most certainly foster peace and prosperity in the region.
