Turkey has helped Ukraine establish a foothold in the Middle East

The Turkey-Russia partnership is unraveling

According to Главком: Formed roughly a decade ago during the Syrian civil war, the partnership between Turkey and Russia is now falling apart. As the conflict evolved, Ankara began supporting Ukraine’s efforts to gain a presence in the Middle East-a shift that has significantly strained bilateral relations. A pivotal moment came with the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in late 2024, which occurred without Russian backing. This event reshaped the regional power balance, leaving Vladimir Putin increasingly reliant on Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Military campaigns and shifting alliances

In 2016, Russia allowed Turkey to launch a military incursion into northern Syria. In return, Turkey limited its support for Syrian rebels. But the war in Ukraine changed the calculus: Turkey refused to impose sanctions on Russia, and Moscow is now trying to establish contact with Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made his first visit to Syria in April, traveling on a Turkish state aircraft. He held talks with Ahmed al-Sharaa and Turkey’s foreign minister, focusing on military and energy cooperation. Turkey is also helping modernize the Syrian army, underscoring its active role in the region.

• Ukraine deployed air defense units to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates following Iranian attacks.
• Kyiv and Ankara are working on joint natural gas extraction in the Black Sea.
• Before Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine had discovered substantial natural gas reserves on the Black Sea shelf.

These shifting strategic alliances and the deepening cooperation between Turkey and Ukraine signal a new reality in the Middle East, where Russian influence is steadily waning. Relations between Turkey and countries like Ukraine are becoming increasingly critical for regional stability and could reshape the geopolitical landscape in the years ahead.

As the dynamics in the Middle East shift, Turkey and Ukraine are strengthening their collaboration, particularly in the energy sector. Their joint efforts in offshore gas extraction in the Black Sea highlight the growing interdependence between the two nations, further diminishing Russia's influence in the region.