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The ceremony of Turkstream launch in Istanbul, January 9, 2020. /Reuters Photo
On January 8, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin took the stage in Istanbul as they inaugurated the Turkstream pipeline. The two leaders were all smiles as they symbolically opened the valve to start the flow of Russian natural gas to Turkey and Europe.
With an annual capacity to transit 31.5 billion cubic meters of gas, the pipeline would be able to meet the energy demands of 15 million homes, according to Erdogan.
It was especially a proud moment for the Turkish president, who is eager for Turkey to be considered an energy hub.
But the leaders had more challenging discussions before the ceremony as they discussed regional conflicts behind closed doors. The main focus on the agenda was no doubt – Libya.
The receiving terminal of Turksteam in Kiyikoy, January 8, 2020. /Reuters Photo
Turkey and Russia find themselves supporting the opposite sides of the Libyan conflict, with Ankara supporting the Government of National Accord (GNA) and Moscow supporting general Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army. Turkey has also announced it was deploying troops in Libya in support of the GNA, which was a concerning move for Moscow.
However, the two leaders seem eager to cooperate in Libya. In a statement made by the foreign ministers of both countries, they called for a sustainable ceasefire starting January 12, at midnight.
Moscow and Ankara have also cooperated closely despite being on the opposite side of the Syrian conflict – as they acted as guarantor states during the Astana peace process. As Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad's forces have recently intensified their attacks in Idlib – the last rebel-held stronghold – a humanitarian crisis may soon require more attention of these two leaders again.
But no comments were made on Idlib during the speeches of the Turkstream opening.
Putin and Erdogan talk in Istanbul, January 8, 2020. /Reuters Photo
Instead, Erdogan's focus shifted to Iran and the impact Tehran's recent crisis with the U.S. is having on the region and Iraq, specifically.
The Turkstream inauguration comes on the day that Iran fired missiles on U.S. targets in Iraq – a retaliatory move against Washington's assassination of Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani.
In his speech, Erdogan stated, "Nobody has the right to put the whole region, especially Iraq, into a fire circle for the sake of their own interests. As a country who can speak to all parties, we will continue to carry out intense diplomacy. We will use all the opportunities we have and we will not allow our region to be drown in blood and tears."
Erdogan also stressed the importance of defusing tension with the use of and bringing back common sense during what he called a critical period for the region. With several conflicts taking a toll on the region – it will be critical for leaders to cooperate and opt to defuse tension instead – an approach that Putin says Russia and Turkey have been exemplary of.
