When Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his decision to recognize two breakaway regions in east Ukraine as independent, NATO member and Black Sea neighbor Turkey swiftly criticized the move but stopped short of announcing any punitive measures.
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Turkey is in a unique bind: it has good ties with both Ukraine and Russia, but also opposes sanctions in principle, just as the West is poised to slap them on Moscow as long-promised
The crisis leaves President Tayyip Erdogan balancing those diplomatic relations along with his duties within NATO, while also protecting Turkey's beleaguered economy from back-to-back shocks after a currency crisis in December.
Any step too far against Moscow, and Ankara risks upsetting important Russian energy supplies, trade and tourism, analysts say.
Striking the balance Turkey employed for decades, Erdogan often highlights his friendship with Putin but has warned Russia against an invasion and offered to mediate the crisis. He has also criticized the West's handling of things as a hindrance to peace. read more
On Tuesday, Turkey called Russia's recognition of Ukraine's separatists an unacceptable violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity. Ergodan - who visited Kyiv this month - rejected it and called on parties to respect international laws, likely his sharpest language towards Moscow since a crisis over Turkey's downing of a Russian jet near Turkey's Syrian border in 2015.
