Retired Admiral Dr. Konstantin Sivkov
"US build-up in Greece targets both Türkiye and Russia"
After graduating from the A.S. Popov Higher Naval Radio Electronics School in 1976, he served in the USSR Navy from 1976 to 1985. After graduating from the Naval Academy command faculty in 1987, he gave lectures in the A.A. Grechko Department of Naval Management. In 1992, he graduated from the main course of the Military Academy of the General Staff, after which he was asked to enter the doctoral program at the academy. After completing his doctorate studies, he worked at the RF Armed Forces General Staff Military-Strategic Research Center between 1995 and 2007. Since 2012, he has been working as a columnist for the weekly Military Industrial Courier magazine. He holds a doctorate in military sciences. Between 2013 and March 2015, he was the President of the Academy of Geopolitical Issues. He is the Vice President of the Russian Academy of Missile and Artillery Sciences.
How to cite: Sivkov, K. (2022). US build-up in Greece targets both Türkiye and Russia. BRIQ Belt & Road Initiative Quarterly, 4(1), 26-31.
“The common strategy of all multipolar world countries, including Türkiye, Russia, China, India, and Iran, has an element of joining forces against the Western bloc. And I believe this union is the one that will stop a nuclear World War III. Türkiye does not obey the orders of the USA, establishes independent policies, and maintains good relations with Russia, all of which the USA does not like at all. Under these circumstances, the US wants to take the reins of Türkiye back into its own hands, and for this purpose, it organized a coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in 2016. This coup attempt was defeated with the support of Russia as well, but the USA began to besiege Türkiye from every angle. Türkiye has started to take some measures against this siege passing through Greece and Southern Cyprus. This siege aims to engulf both Türkiye and Russia. This should be clearly understood. These bases are primarily aimed at Türkiye, then towards Russia. The containment of Russia is also achieved by other means, but at this point, Türkiye is a key target in the eyes of the United States.”
Retired Admiral Dr. Konstantin Sivkov, Vice President of the Academy of Missile and Artillery Sciences of the Russian Ministry of Defense, answered Kubilay Çelik’s questions.
In the naval doctrine adopted by Russia in Au- cumstances. To support this union, Russia provided
gust, the Eastern Mediterranean was counted among military and economic support to many countries,
"regions that significantly affect the country’s econo- even though it is not officially an ally. Because under
mic development, people’s welfare and national secu- the leadership of our country, there are people, pe-
rity". What is the significance of the Eastern Mediter- oples and states who hope for help from us. The Isla-
ranean for Russia today? mic world is experiencing a new renaissance, but the
ideas of extremists in the region, which are hostile
Dr. Konstantin Sivkov: The Mediterranean to Russia and Islam, are trying to portray Islam as a
is of great importance to Russia. The first factor here destructive religion. They are parasites, and this un-
is, of course, the safety factor. Underneath this lies derstanding only brings destruction. Hiding behind
the fact that the famous 6th Fleet of the USA is lo- the Islamic flag, they form terrorist organizations
cated here. Long-range missiles from these ships can such as the so-called Islamic State (ISIS), which is
be used to target Russia. In the event of an attack banned in Russia, and other similar structures. The-
against Russia, destroying and disabling these airc- se are the most active at the moment.
raft carriers is a critically important task in elimina- Under these conditions, the Arab world con-
ting a threat formation. tinues to get closer to Russia, primarily for security
For this reason, the presence of Russia in the reasons, and it turns out that there are people who
region is also very important from a military point fear Russia’s suppression of such terrorist acts. Eco-
of view. The second important point is that the lea- nomically, the Mediterranean has always been one
ding countries of the Arab world in the region follow of the centers of economic development of human
a more friendly policy towards Russia, and I think civilization since the Ancient Romans. The Mediter-
Russia-Türkiye relations are now of great importan- ranean is also of great economic importance today.
ce for Russia. We are Russians. We remain true to Therefore, economically, Russia is interested in be-
the principle of supporting our allies under any cir- ing in this region.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, where he was attending the 6th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA). (October 13, 2022October 13 (2022). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.) (Official Website of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye, 2022Official Website of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye (2022). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.)
Moscow’s Intervention in Ukraine is in pendent roadmap. Yes, sometimes, many people
the Interest of Türkiye’s Sovereignty and can be uncomfortable with this situation. Russia,
Independence too, can sometimes be disturbed by President
Erdogan’s policy in relations with republics such It is seen that the USA is trying to build a front as Azerbaijan, which was established after the with Greece, Israel and Southern Cyprus in the Soviet Union. However, in general, Recep Tay- Eastern Mediterranean. What do you think is yip Erdogan follows a dominant Türkiye policy, the goal of this? How does this affect the objecand at this point, Türkiye and Russia are among tives set by Russia in its strategy in the Eastern the few countries that can achieve this. Türkiye Mediterranean? does not obey the orders of the USA, establishes
Dr. Konstantin Sivkov: Recall that until a independent policies, and maintains good rela-
while ago, before the current President Erdogan tions with Russia, all of which the USA does not
came to power in Türkiye, there were no prob- like at all. Our Honorable President Putin pulled
lems with Greece. Türkiye mainly maintained a new rabbit out of the hat at this point and said
this stance. The policy adopted in the previous that they wanted to establish a natural gas hub
period was the most important thing that kept in Türkiye. This project not only gives Türkiye
Türkiye and Russia apart in the Eastern Mediter- economic power but also makes Türkiye a key
ranean. However, with President Recep Tayyip state in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean
Erdoğan, Türkiye started to follow a more inde- in general.
So, these are all indications that Russia is advo- started the construction of a land and naval
cating Türkiye’s full sovereignty, as it should, even if base in Alexandroupolis on the Turkish border.
there are some existing frictions between Russia and Finally, the U.S. administration lifted the
Türkiye. Under these conditions, the U.S. wants to military embargo on Southern Cyprus, which it
take the reins of Türkiye back into its own hands, and had maintained for 35 years. There is a debate in
for this purpose, it organized a coup attempt against Türkiye: While some argue that the USA is putting
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in 2016. This coup a military siege against Türkiye and Russia with
attempt was defeated with the support of Russia, but this military buildup, another segment argues
the USA began to besiege Türkiye from every ang- that the target of the USA is Russia, not Türkiye.
le. Türkiye has started to take measures against this What do you think the USA is aiming for?
siege passing through Greece and Southern Cyprus. Dr. Konstantin Sivkov: All these measures
This siege aims to engulf both Türkiye and Russia. mentioned, namely the deployment of U.S.
This should be clearly understood. They tried military bases in the south of Crete, and the
to stage a coup in 2016 and failed, but they will con- deployment of 22 military bases in Greece, are
tinue to work in this direction. It will change shape, concrete examples of the U.S. policy of isolating
but they will continue to work to make Türkiye cont- Türkiye from the Mediterranean and North
rollable again. Russia is launching a special operation Africa. This is the natural direction of movement
against Ukraine because the U.S. targets in Ukraine of the Turkish state in North Africa during the
and Russia are the same. In general, the USA and the Ottoman Empire. Later, Western countries took
Western world set the goal of making Russia a cont- control of these countries in North Africa and
rollable country. Putin launched a special operation naturally, they do not allow Türkiye to return to
against the puppet state of Ukraine to secure Russia’s this region. Due to objective factors, the Eastern
maritime zone. Mediterranean region is important for Russia and
Nevertheless, there are other means of control- Türkiye. That’s why these military bases are against
ling Russia. They want to take control of the Russian both Türkiye and Russia. The West does not want
nuclear potential and impose impositions on ever- Türkiye’s political and economic influences to
yone, including Türkiye, using combined Ameri- extend beyond its geography.
can-Western nuclear power. That is why today, Rus- The West finds the concept of a Turkish society
sia is entering Ukraine. This war is fought not only loyal to its traditional values to be promoted not
for Russia’s independence and sovereignty but also only in the country but also in foreign policy by
for Türkiye’s independence and sovereignty. This ne- President Erdogan as hostile to itself and adopts
eds to be well understood. The pressure on Türkiye a confrontational approach. Therefore, these
continues not only with the siege in the Eastern Me- bases are primarily aimed at Türkiye and, to a
diterranean but also economically. lesser extent, Russia. The containment of Russia
is also achieved by other means, but at this point, US Military Buildup in the Eastern Türkiye is a key target in the eyes of the United Mediterranean Against Türkiye More Than States. I want to remind you that the United States Russia has supported and continues to support several
The United States expanded military cooperation Kurdish terrorist organizations that threaten
agreements with Greece and deployed troops Türkiye’s territorial integrity. So much so that this
to 22 separate military bases in the country. It is not only verbal support but also the support of
activated a large-scale naval base in Crete and money and weapons.
The SCO summit took place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on September 16. (Li Tao/Xinhua, 2022Li Tao/Xinhua (2022). The source article does not provide a separate full bibliographic entry for this citation.)
The Common Strategy of the Countries lenge, leaving them in very difficult conditions next
Defending the Multipolar World is to Join winter. Remember that any world war is always waged
Forces by alliances. The US-led Western alliance has already
been formed and is running smoothly. The name of In addition to the Eastern Mediterranean, the Unithis alliance, which includes all Western civilizations ted States creates instability through direct military but is actually the military organization of a single interventions in major seas such as the Taiwan Stracountry, the USA, is NATO. Western civilization is it and the South China Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Aracting very clearly in this war against Russia. ctic Ocean, the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the This situation continues, albeit partially, against Yemen Sea, and many other seas and waterways, Türkiye. However, the forces trying to build a multilarge and small. Russia, China, Iran, Türkiye and polar world have been fighting these forces without other countries in the mentioned regions are struggcompromise and fiercely for a fair world order and a ling with similar threats coming from the same sourbeautiful future, not for one year, not for ten years, ce, originating from the USA. What strategy should but for a century. Countries that support a multipolar these countries follow in their relations and against world order still adhere to this principle. As it claims, the USA to eliminate these threats? Türkiye is truly an independent and sovereign state
Dr. Konstantin Sivkov: Today, the 3rd World within the global system. It does not accept to be a de-
War has started and continues at full speed. The proxy pendent power to the USA and therefore, it is a target.
wars that the USA started against Russia over Ukrai- In other words, these are the countries that believed
ne, which was the beginning of the 3rd World War, are in the multipolar world model and acted faithfully to
coming to an end. The United States considered the it, the countries that needed to be consolidated for the
shooting of the Ukrainian forces showing maximum USA.
loyalty to the U.S. as an attack against it and launched But here, there is a positive alternative to the
a challenge against Russia. On the other hand, Euro- USA: SCO and BRICS. These organizations, accepted
pean countries continue to give credit to this chal- by the whole world, create a tendency towards for-
ming a multipolar world. They transformed from pu- conflict. It is unthinkable to ensure the security of the
rely economic organizations into organizations with a countries of the region within the scope of this policy of
certain political and military-political stance. We can Türkiye. Maybe this is not the best solution, but Russia
see this, especially at the summit in Samarkand. In is ready to do anything to establish a common policy in
the Samarkand Declaration of the SCO, all member this Idlib cauldron. However, it seems that the Turkish
countries declared that they would engage in an active side is not ready for this yet, and time is passing.
joint struggle against various types of hybrid wars and
economic aggressions from third countries. The SCO Will Become the Largest World
Moreover, it’s a very strong magnet. In other Club that Determines World Peace for the
words, the common strategy of all multipolar world Next Decades
countries, including Türkiye, Russia, China, India and
Iran, aims to join forces against the Western bloc. I The SCO aims at economic cooperation and security
think this union is the one that will stop the 3rd World and has taken important steps in this area. In addition
War, which has already started, before it turns into a to the SCO, the Belt and Road Initiative, initiated un-
nuclear war. Therefore, the struggle in this direction der China’s and Russia’s leadership, aims to build the
continues. Maritime Silk Road of the 21st Century. Stability in the
Eastern Mediterranean, an important sea route betwe-
The Astana Platform, formed by Türkiye, Rus- en Asia, Europe and Africa, is also important within
sia and Iran, has achieved very important progress the scope of KYG. Considering the position of the Eas-
in ensuring the territorial integrity of Syria in the tern Mediterranean within the scope of the KYG, what
last five years. What role does the Astana partner- kind of a relationship can be mentioned between the
ship play in resolving conflicts between these three interests of Türkiye, Russia and China in the region? In
countries and regional problems in Western Asia? this context, is there an overlap or antagonism between
Can it play a greater role? What needs to be done the interests of the mentioned countries?
about this? Dr. Konstantin Sivkov: There are different
Dr. Konstantin Sivkov: This is a very impor- contradictions, and there will always be contradic-
tant model, of course, because these three countries, tions, but the decision to jointly defend all member
Russia, Iran and Türkiye, are the key players that deter- states against threats from third countries in the pub-
mine the overall policy and situation. For example, the lished declaration shows that all these contradictions
role of this trio in the Middle East determines the situ- have been pushed aside. The Belt and Road program
ation in the region. This alliance has defeated all U.S. is being developed against common threats that may
attempts to infiltrate the region, allowing it to escape come from now on.
Afghanistan shamefully. But of course, certain frictions I want to remind you that Russia not only sup-
and problems continue within this trio. In addition to ports the development of the Eastern Mediterranean
situations where everyone is united in their interests, on the Belt and Road Initiative but also cooperates
they are often separated for petty personal interests. with China to develop the Northern Sea Route. Stret-
Common interests are establishing a multipolar world ching from the North and the South, from Europe to
order, establishing friendly relations in the Middle East China, the goals and future of this organization are
in general, and confronting the West, a very serious and much more important than the small disagreements
formidable enemy that claims to dominate the world. between us. The SCO will develop and become the
I must indicate that, unfortunately, the Turkish largest world club that truly determines world peace
government hasn’t shown its resolve to end the Syrian for the next decades and maybe even centuries.