Turkey, Azerbaijan step up aid to Ukraine

Turkish aid to Ukraine reached Romania today.

Five truck loads arrived at Romania’s Vama Giurgiu border crossing with Bulgaria. The drivers drove through the blizzard in Bulgaria today to reach the border point. The aid can now move through Romania north into Ukraine, Turkey’s Anadolu Agency reported.

The Ukrainian Embassy in Ankara also said today that it had collected aid from private citizens in Turkey and Azerbaijan, including basic food. The supplies were loaded onto three Istanbul-bound trucks at the embassy. From Istanbul, they will be delivered to Ukraine via Bulgaria and Romania, according to Anadolu.

The Turkish Interior Ministry also delivered food, tents, blankets and beds to Ukraine on Feb. 26 via a truck convoy, according to a tweet. The same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted Kyiv expects a plane from Azerbaijan carrying medicine. Zelenskyy added that Azerbaijan’s state oil company will provide fuel to ambulances at its stations in Ukraine for free.

Turkey has good relations with Ukraine. In 2019, Turkey sold its Bayraktar drones to the Ukrainian military. Earlier this month, the two countries announced that they will sign a new free trade agreement.

Last week, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the Russian attack on Ukraine “unacceptable” and a “violation of International law.” Turkey has not gone as far as some Western countries in calling for sanctions on Russia, however. Turkey also offered to mediate between Ukraine and Russia shortly before the war.

Turkey’s relationship with Russia is more complicated. Turkey and Russia are on opposite sides of several regional conflicts, most notably the Syrian civil war. At the same time, Turkey bought Russia’s S-400 missile defense system in 2017. The two countries have also worked to boost economic relations in recent years, including on tourism.

Ukraine asked Turkey last week to close the Bosporus Strait to Russian warships. Yesterday, Turkey said it would implement the Montreux Convention, which gives Ankara control of the strategic waterways between the Black and Mediterranean seas. It is unclear what exactly the news means for Russian ships.

Turkey began evacuating its citizens from Ukraine last week. An additional 26 buses are expected in Ukraine to bring Turkish citizens back home, and 128 citizens crossed into Turkey via Bulgaria today, according to Anadolu.

Turkey and Azerbaijan could both play more active roles in the conflict soon. On Feb. 26, Zelensky thanked both countries for offering to mediate peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.