Turkey Will Not Participate In Imposing Sanctions, President Erdoan: I Can't Let People Freeze Without Russian Gas

President Vladimir Putin with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Wikimedia Commons/Kremlin.ru/The Presidential Press and Information Office)

JAKARTA - Turkish authorities will not be able to join sanctions against Russia, because they cannot allow their citizens to freeze without Russian gas, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Turkish journalists on a flight back from a NATO summit.

"In terms of sanctions, we are studying certain UN guidelines, but don't forget that we cannot rule out our relations with Russia," President Erdoan told TASS of the Hurriyet newspaper March 25.

"You know, I've been explaining this for a long time, because today, if we take natural gas alone, about half of the natural gas we use comes from Russia. In addition, we are building our Akkuyu nuclear power plant with Russia," President Erdogan continued.

"We cannot ignore it. When I said this to (French President Emmanuel) Macron, even he said I was right. We must protect these sensitivities."

"Firstly, I cannot allow my citizens to freeze in winter, and secondly, I cannot completely revive our industry," said President Erdogan.

President Erdoan further reiterated that republican authorities "must protect their citizens."

"We have a country with a population of 85 million people. We have all kinds of obligations. In addition, we have sent 56 trucks of humanitarian aid to Ukraine. We are providing them with food, clothing, medicine. Deliveries will increase," he said.

It is known, Ankara has repeatedly stated that Turkey does not intend to join sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, so as not to damage its own economy, leaving the channel of dialogue open with the Russian Federation.