United World International author Dr. Mehmet Perinçek gave an interview to the Azerbaijani website Demokrat.az on the Ukraine and Iran wars, the recent NATO summit in Ankara, and the Turkic world. We have translated the interview, originally published in Azerbaijani Turkish, into English for you:
Mr. Perinçek, how would you assess the final picture of the Russia-Ukraine war over the past few months?
When we look at the processes taking place in the Russia-Ukraine war in recent months, we see that the intensity of the war has increased and, at the same time, efforts are being made to expand its geography. We observe that Western states do not want the war to end and are trying to further weaken Russia by providing more weapons and financial support to Ukraine. In particular, the attacks organized by Ukraine deep into Russia – the hitting of civilian targets in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other regions, the targeting of various oil production facilities – clearly show that all this is being carried out with Western technology and that not only Europe, but also the USA, NASA and Starlink are participating in this process.
These attacks are aimed at forcing Russia to respond more harshly. In parallel, we see that Belarus is also being drawn into the war, and various provocations may occur over Kaliningrad and the Baltic region. Thus, a new stage is planned in which European states are also involved in this conflict, both by increasing the intensity of the war and expanding its geography. It is highly likely that the supporters of the war in Europe will drag the world into greater turmoil, even a world war, in this way.
The West’s interest is also due to the fact that Ukraine is no longer able to advance on the front line, is experiencing a serious shortage of human resources, deepening economic problems, corruption and other issues are becoming more prominent in the country. This situation indicates that the war will expand further and may cover all of Europe.
The conflict between Iran and the US-Israeli pair has dragged on and has turned into a military confrontation with no end in sight. International public opinion is confused due to contradictory statements from Tehran and Washington. What do you think will result from all this?
We see that the US and its allies will not accept a multipolar world peacefully. There is no longer any doubt in anyone that they will not give up the hegemonic system they have established without war. In fact, the attacks of the US and Israel against Iran are also part of this. The goal here is not only Iran. They want to put pressure on China, Russia, and even Türkiye through Iran.
For this reason, the attacks of the US and Israel against Iran are aimed at preventing the formation of a multipolar world, protecting their hegemony and maintaining the existing unipolar global system. However, the US and Israel faced serious resistance that they did not expect in the war against Iran. Their plans to change the regime in Iran failed. They could not raise the Iranian people against their own government. At the same time, Iran prevented these attacks with its retaliatory strikes, and as a result, the US was forced to negotiate with Iran.
However, the US is also trying to use negotiations for its own interests and is pressuring Iran to make concessions that are contrary to its national interests. Iran, on the other hand, remains committed to its foreign policy course, declaring that it will not back down.
Tehran has gained a significant advantage, especially in the Strait of Hormuz. Tel Aviv’s targeting of US bases in the Gulf, its retaliatory strikes, and the fact that it holds significant economic leverage through the Strait of Hormuz have created a favorable position for Iran.
The US, seeing this clearly, is unable to demonstrate harsh rhetoric against Iran and is sometimes forced to change what it said one day the next. It should not be forgotten that Iran’s relations with Russia and China also play an important role here.
The US lost in the confrontation with Iran. But this does not mean that America will accept this. Time will tell whether it will organize a new attack on Iran together with Israel. If he takes such a step, Donald Trump may face more serious political problems in front of both the US public and the world community. Considering the military-political balance, it is clear that the advantage is currently in favor of Iran.
How would you evaluate the last NATO summit in Ankara in terms of US-Turkish relations and the development of the Turkish defense industry?
When we look at Türkiye’s security needs, we see that the main threats facing the country are not from Russia, Iran or China. When we look at the line extending from Syria to the Eastern Mediterranean, the Aegean region and Thrace, we observe that Türkiye is being encircled by the US and Israel, and Israel sees Türkiye as the main threat, even an enemy.
Considering that Israel’s biggest partner is the United States, Washington’s policy of pressuring Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean, together with Greece, Southern Cyprus and other European countries, and the deployment of US military bases on the Greek islands indicate that there are plans against Türkiye.
For this reason, it is clear that the potential threats that Türkiye will face will come from the Atlantic bloc and Israel. The defense strategy should be built accordingly.
This issue is also of great importance in terms of military technologies. Because in the event of a possible conflict with the United States and Israel, it will not be possible to use NATO-related and US-dependent technologies.
In this regard, abandoning the S-400 systems and giving preference to the F-35 program could weaken Türkiye’s air defense capabilities. It is impossible to use the F-35s against Israel or Greece. The S-400 systems are of great importance in this regard and abandoning them would be a serious mistake.
Unfortunately, we also saw the strengthening of tendencies in this direction at the NATO summit. This actually means disarming Türkiye. Türkiye needs alternative weapons technologies and defense systems that are independent of NATO and the US. Abandoning existing systems instead of developing these capabilities will create a situation of even greater dependence on the West in the future.
The integration of national weapons systems into Western platforms by military-industrial companies also leads to the transfer of this sector to Western control. This increases the risk that Türkiye will have weapons that it will not be able to use in the face of future threats from the West in the future. The S-400 systems are of great importance in terms of Türkiye’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security.
What is the place and importance of the Organization of Turkic States in the world against the backdrop of modern geopolitical processes?
The Organization of Turkic States is one of the political, economic and military associations formed in a multipolar world. Just as there are BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Eurasian Economic Union, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and ASEAN, the Organization of Turkic States is also an international platform that can play an independent role in this multipolar system.
This organization should be considered as an integral part of the Greater Eurasian integration. The Turkic States Organization should not become a tool used by the West against Russia, China, Iran and other states. On the contrary, it should be an important part of Greater Eurasia and the new world order.
There are forces in the West who want to use the Turkic States Organization against Russia, China and Iran. This model was tried in the 1990s and failed. It even led to the spread and strengthening of FETÖ in those regions. This has damaged Türkiye’s relations with the Turkic states.
The Organization of Turkic States should be a fully independent platform. In the current circumstances, the organization should be evaluated in terms of regional economic development and security. The interests of the Turkic states lie in maintaining good relations with China, Russia and Iran. There are serious economic, political and military relations with these countries.
The Organization of Turkic States should play a role that does not weaken these relations, but rather strengthens them, both strengthening cooperation between the Turkic states and further developing relations with the major powers of the region.