In November 2015, a Turkish Air Force jet shot down a Russian military plane after alleging
that it had violated Turkish airspace. This international incident has led to an intense
standoff between Russia and Turkey, with neither side willing to acknowledge any blame. Although
the two decided against going to war, Russia has since ordered economic sanctions against
Turkey, and will likely cancel a multibillion dollar gas pipeline. Aggression between these
countries is not new, as the two have been engaged in conflict since at least the 16th
century. So, why do Russia and Turkey hate each other?
Well, their negative relations date back to when Russia was still ruled by czars, and
Turkey was still the massive Ottoman Empire. The two Eastern empires were split geographically
by the Black Sea and ideologically by cultural identity. Russia had been Christianized since
the beginning of the millennium, while the Ottoman Empire was predominantly Islamic.
From 1568 until the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in 1918, the two fought as many as
a dozen wars, considered one of the longest series of conflicts in European history. Russia
emerged victorious in almost all of them.
The collapse of the Ottoman Empire reduced it to a smaller Turkish Republic while Russia
underwent it’s own revolution. This led the two countries towards friendly relations
with the 1921 Treaty of Moscow, and a 1925 nonaggression pact. But the peace was short
lived. By 1936, Turkey controlled important territory connecting the Black Sea to the
Mediterranean, and refused to give the Soviet Union free access to the region. This was
further complicated by World War Two, when Turkey was neutral but friendly with Nazi
Germany. Around the end of the war, the Soviet Union withdrew from their non aggression pact,
pushing Turkey to join NATO by 1952. The two were completely and directly opposed up until
the end of the 20th century.
But despite a long history of mostly negative relations, the fall of the Soviet Union in
1991 prompted a renewal of cooperation. A treaty the following year began a rebuilding
process, culminating in close economic ties by 2009. Huge investments on both sides, and
numerous energy deals have led to billions of dollars flowing between the two countries.
A planned gas pipeline, as well as a Russian nuclear power plant in Turkey had many hopeful
that economic cooperation could help mend their historical animosity.
But the November 2015 airplane shoot-down has completely halted friendly relations.
Russia has ended communication with Turkey’s military, stopped charter flights into the
country, and referred to Turkey as a supporter of terrorism. Russia also bombed rebels in
Syria, intentionally close to the Turkish border. Turkey’s President, in turn, has
maintained that they were within their rights to protect their territory. Nonetheless, he
expressed regret over the shooting. As this tense situation progresses, it threatens to
reignite the historical, neighborly rivalry between Russia and Turkey.
Now you know about the tensions between Russia and Turkey, but do you know how powerful they
each are individually? Watch the video at the top to learn more about Russia. If you
want to learn more about Turkey’s national power, watch the video at the bottom. Thanks
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