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March 28
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Turkey cannot afford a conflict with Russia due to the close economic ties between the states, columnist Harun Karcik wrote in an article for the National Interest magazine.

The publicist noted that Russian supplies provide the country with 45 percent gas, 17 percent oil, and 70 percent wheat. At the same time, Rosatom is building Turkey's first nuclear power plant, Akkuyu, which should start operating in 2023.

Turkey cannot afford to lose a key partner at a time when the Turkish lira has depreciated 47 percent in less than a year and inflation is at its highest level in 20 years, Karcik explained.

The author noted that the tourist flow from Russia in the amount of 4.7 million visitors last year, which is 19 percent of the total number of travelers, plays an important role for the Turkish economy.

According to him, for these reasons, Ankara will maintain a neutral position in relations with Russia and Ukraine.

Turkey will most likely continue to pursue a pragmatic foreign policy course: neither pro-Ukrainian nor pro-Russian, but pro-Turkish, the observer concluded.

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