Russia has asked Turkey for clarification on a statement made by one of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s advisers, who condemned Kazakhstan’s decision to invite Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) forces to the republic. This was announced during a press conference by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the event is broadcast on RBC.
“There was an incomprehensible statement in Ankara, to put it mildly, by one of President Erdogan’s advisers, who condemned Kazakhstan’s actions at the invitation of the CSTO. We have now asked our Turkish colleagues to explain what this means,” he said. “But officials did not make any negative comments,” Lavrov said.
The fact that Kazakhstan was “occupied” by the CSTO forces was announced on January 8 by the assistant to the Turkish president, Ihsan Sener, informed Turkish portal Milliyet. Sener mentioned that Kazakhstan is an ally of Turkey in the Organization of Turkic States, and said that now this country, which had previously freed itself “from the 30-year Soviet yoke”, was able to return to its cultural roots. However, now they want to bring her under a “new yoke,” said Schener.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova previously criticized Shener’s statement. “Ihsan Shener characterizes the Republic of Kazakhstan as a country that first, as he said, freed itself from “Soviet oppression”, and now “some forces allegedly again threaten to put it under a senseless yoke,” she said (quoted from TASS). According to Zakharova, this is “some kind of highly artistic” and “obviously unrealistic” expression, which causes bewilderment in Moscow. These words do not contribute to the improvement of the situation in such a difficult period for Kazakhstan and do not correspond to the spirit of Russian-Turkish friendship, the representative of the Foreign Ministry noted.
Putin said that the CSTO forces should return home
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