Turkish Consul in Tatarstan: ‘Mr Minnikhanov’s attitude is a guarantee for Turkish business people’

'Kazan is not the right capital the decision on this matter will be made or discussed in'

Mr. Consul General, what is your opinion about the crisis between Turkey and Russia concerning the incident with the plane?

We are talking about a matter in which along with circumstances connected with the relationships of both countries, there are circumstances of the regional and international importance.

Be that is it may, Kazan is not the right capital the decision on this matter will be made or discussed in. However, using your question, I would like to tell briefly about the circumstances ignored by the Russian press, first of all, TV channels in a proper to their position manner.

The deceased Russian military pilot after when he was delivered to Turkey was sent to Russia with the military honours of the Turkish Armed Forces. Photo: cnnturk.com

Undoubtedly, the Russian military jet violated the Turkish airspace. Before crossing it, the jet was warned several times, but no answer was received. In 2012, in the Syrian airspace a Turkish plane was shot down, as a result, two Turkish pilots died. After the incident, having stated the measures which would be taken if the country's airspace were violated to the whole world, Turkish changed the rules of application of force. The Russian party, including its high level, was told about the previous facts of violation of the Turkish airspace by military jets. At the moment of shooting down, there was no information about the nationality, that is to say, there was no information that it was a military jet of the Russian Federation. After the clarification of the situation, on the same day, when the government of Turkey was finally formed after a long period, Mr. President asked for a phone call to Mr. Putin, but there was not any answer. Many competent authorities headed by Mr. President, Mr. PM and Mr. Minister of the Foreign Affairs of Turkey stated that Turkey used its right for boundary protection. They also expressed their sympathy on the happened incident and the human price. The deceased Russian military pilot after when he was delivered to Turkey was sent to Russia with military honours of the Turkish Armed Forces.

As far as you know, as from 1 January 2016, Russia started to apply sanctions against goods made in Turkey, tourism and construction. What is the effect of these sanctions?

I think, first of all, the principal position towards sanctions needs to be clarified.

'Isn't it clear that the economic sanctions as an instrument of the political pressure in the modern interdependent world have a boomerang effect, and, in the end, they have an impact on the business and economics of the countries which initiated them?'

These circumstances were stated by Mr. Putin in his speech at St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in 2014. In his interview given to a German newspaper a couple of days ago, Mr. Putin also called sanctions stupid and harmful decisions.

'Mr. Putin called sanctions stupid and harmful decisions.' Photo: kremlin.ru

We wholly support this point of view and impose sanctions only within the terms of UN Security Council. Due to this reason, despite our delicate attitude and well-known opinion on Crimean issue, we did not join the sanctions imposed against Russia. And according to our firm position, we did not impose any sanctions against other countries we had serious problems in different periods with.

Another reason for our negative attitude to sanctions is the fact that we know the harm we do to our people. We don't understand the clue of sanctions imposed by one country against another, which affecting the other party, have an impact on inflation. Consequently, they cause the appreciation of the main products for people of the very country or bring to the reduction of employment of the population in the country.

To impose sanctions, provided that they don't contradict the rules of WTO, is the choice of Russia itself. However, it is obvious the sanctions will have a double effect. Our Mr. PM said the government has taken and will take compensating measures against the possible effect of the Russian sanctions, in agriculture and tourism first. Speaking about the sanctions, I think the following circumstance is to be taken into account. For economic reasons and as a result of the reduction of demand on the Russian market, in the last two years, there was a flowing tendency in the export of goods to Russia. Because of the fall in ruble and reduction of the purchasing power, unfortunately, recently we observed a flowing tendency in the quantity of guests from Russian who visited us in a similar way, even the above-mentioned events would not have happened.

'For economic reasons and a result of the reduction of demand on the Russian market, in the last two years, there was a flowing tendency in the export of goods to Russia.' Photo: sputniknews.com

We always want Russian to buy healthy, quality and cheap agricultural products, the guests from Russia to use the tourism sector of Turkey that offers the most favourable conditions in price/quality relation; although the current situation will create a possible search for new markets and diversification of the alternative markets like both in agriculture and tourism.

'We told you: 'Well, go and invest, but…'

Turkey accounts 23% of all foreign investments in the Republic of Tatarstan. Did these imposed sanctions have any effect in Turkey-Tatarstan relationships?

We are glad to know the Turkish companies are the largest foreign investors in the Republic of Tatarstan. We always supported these investments. (Having seen the huge factories in Alabuga, Mr. Nihat Zeibekci, the ex-Minister of Economy of Turkey, once told a joke saying that, 'We told you: 'Well, go and invest', but you exaggerated a bit (Editor's Note: better to say 'you tried too hard'), but never mind, you may continue investing in the neighbouring Russia and fraternal Tatarstan).

It should be emphasized that the Turkish investments in the Republic of Tatarstan, first of all, are beneficial to the economy of Russia. They create new working places and implement new technologies. What is more, the investments favour the diversification of the economy of Tatarstan, consequently, the economy of Russia because they are geared towards the spheres different from the petroleum and petrochemical sectors.

Hitherto the realization of these investment projects passed without any serious problems. Some friends of mine from the countries I had worked contacted me and said that they knew about huge Turkish investments in Tatarstan, and in case of difficulties in the realization of the projects here, they expressed their willingness to realize them in their country. I said we had no problems of the realization of the investments projects.

Thanks to Mr Minnikhanov and his team, Tatarstan has a brilliant image in Turkey in terms of investment possibilities. I hope the latest events won't do harm to this image.

'We are glad to know the Turkish companies are the largest foreign investors in the Republic of Tatarstan.' Factory Kastamonu in Alabuga. Photo: haber.star.com.tr

In spite of the fact that Tatarstan hasn't got similar situations, people in Turkey remember the business people who came to the Russian Export and Investment Fair and were sent to a camp for the arrested people by the Federal Migration Service or entrepreneurs whose factories suffered from raids and who was put under pressure. The foreign capital is easily frightened. It is not difficult to suppose that investors from other countries are carefully observing the ongoing events in Russia.

Snatching at the moment, I would like to remind that before the imposition of the sanctions other Turkish companies were going to fulfil new investment projects in Tatarstan.

Did you have any meeting with the President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov who has visited Turkey many times and had face-to-face meetings with Turkish business people, the President and the Prime Minister of Turkey and played a major role in the attraction of Turkish investors to Russia, especially to Tatarstan? What is his attitude to the Turkish business people in Kazan?

As I had said, the success of Tatarstan in economics and mastery of attraction of foreign investments is the result of the efforts made by the President Mr Minnikhanov and his team.

Due to Mr Minnikhanov's efforts, the Turkish business world was interested in Tatarstan on a firm foundation laid by the first President Mr. Shaimiev.

We know that Mr Minnikhanov said to the press he trusted all foreign investors and Turkish companies that work in Tatarstan and the importance of division between politics and economy. Moreover, he referred to the special relationships between the Turkish and Tatar people.

I'm well-informed about the fact that our companies, which work in Tatarstan, in Alabuga first, were in touch with the Presidential Administration and corresponding ministries during all this period.

It might be said the President Mr Minnikhanov's attitude is a guarantee for Turkish business people and investors.

What has TURKSOY to do with it here?

What problems arose in the cultural and educational sphere between Turkey and Tatarstan regarding the crisis of the plane? If such problems exist, what measures can be taken for their solution?

There close cultural links between the Turkish and Tatar people who have a common history, language, culture and religion.

'I opine that all these problems in the cultural and educational spheres are short-term which will be solved as time goes by. Our relationships in these spheres have a firm foundation. Based on this foundation, our relationships will be better soon than they were earlier.' Photo: Gulandam Zaripova

It might be stated that the latest event to some measure had an impact on these relationships. For instance, the work of Yunus Emre Institute at the Kazan Federal University was halted owing to the fact that the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation required to freeze the two-party collaborations with the Turkish universities. At the same time, the Cultural Centre of Russia in Ankara is still working.

As for the education, the Turkish students who are studying in the universities of Kazan, first of all, at the Kazan Federal University, faced some problems. The problems, which arose not only because of the latest events but because of the fruitless work of the departments that work with students from other universities, were solved. Generally speaking, in Kazan, such problems like in other cities of Russian, where the police with tracker dogs raided halls of residence where Turkish students lived; where students were forced to give up their studies or were interrogated, did not happen. Despite this, 6 exchange students and one professor who were in Tatarstan within the scope of the two-party agreements on the collaboration had to leave Kazan.

From the other side, these days the Council of Higher Education of our country declared that we took the responsibility towards the Russian students who were studying in Turkey and said to their parents that their children wouldn't face any problems.

I suppose that all these problems in the cultural and educational spheres are short-term which will be solved as time goes by. Our relationships in these spheres have a firm foundation. Based on this foundation, our relationships will be better soon than they were earlier.

I would like to remind about a symbolic event demonstrating the firmness of the foundation our fraternal relationships based on. UNICS Basketball Team of Kazan visited Turkey at the height of the latest events, and they were welcomed with a placard 'Tatarstani friends, welcome to Trabzon'.

'UNICS Basketball Team of Kazan visited Turkey at the height of the latest events, and they were welcome with a placard 'Tatarstani friends, welcome to Trabzon'. Photo: vk.com/konsulatekazan

The Ministry of Culture of Russia asked its republics, which are the members of TURKSOY international organization, to freeze their membership relationships. What could you say about the relationships between Tatarstan and TURKSOY at present?

This question could be asked to the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan and TURKSOY. I think there is a spread wrong understanding. TURKSOY is not one of the organizations of Turkey. TURKSOY is an international organization of Turkic culture. In this terms, it can be compared with UNESCO. Dusen Kaseinov, an artist from Kazakhstan, is the secretary general of TURKSOY.

So, in terms of the restriction on Turkey, it is hard to explain why the relationships with this international organization, which has a protocol on collaboration with the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, are under discussion.

In 2014, Kazan successfully lived up to expectations to be the cultural capital of the Turkic world of TURKSOY organization. This year Ufa intended to obtain the status of the capital. It is obvious that due to the sanctions, it was impossible. All in all after the organization of BRICS and SCO summits, Ufa would host one international event more. But it did not come true. But I could not understand what restriction was applied on Turkey (Editor's Note: 'I could not understanding the sanction of these measures against Turkey').

As the Consul General of the Republic of Turkey in Kazan, what is the future of the cultural and commercial relationships between Turkey and the Republic of Tatarstan?

Diplomats always should hope and hold out hope to people. Going beyond my expertise, I sincerely believe that within the scope of the Turkey-Russia relationships, the relationships between Turkey and fraternal Tatarstan will rapidly develop.

(Credit of the translation: official page of the Turkish Consulate General in Kazan in social networks)