Kyiv-Ankara-Istanbul: historical background

To fully understand the correlation of forces in the complex political, military, and diplomatic game which we are seeing unfolding in the Middle East, the Black and Mediterranean Seas, the Balkans and the Caucasus, we should recall the lessons of history. One of these lessons is that partnership, interaction, and, if necessary, cooperation between Turkey (in its past form of the Ottoman Empire or the modern one of the secular Republic of Turkey created by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk) and Ukraine (in its past form of the Cossack state led by Bohdan Khmelnytsky or Petro Doroshenko or the modern one of the independent Ukrainian state) is a significant, reliable guarantee of the two nations’ ability to resist the brazen Muscovite imperialism. Of course, it needs due respect for the sovereignty of both countries from both sides.

It was with this understanding that Hetman Khmelnytsky sought to build a qualitatively new relationship with the Sultan’s government in Istanbul in 1654-57, having seen clearly what “heavy royal hand” of the Tsar of Moscow and his patronage had in store for Ukraine. It was with this awareness that Hetman Doroshenko signed a series of agreements in 1668-72 (which were confederative or even international in nature) with the same government in Istanbul to protect the Ukrainian lands from the expansion of the “northern neighbor.” Historians still argue how events in the region of Southern and Eastern Europe would develop if Doroshenko’s plans were not stymied by our cursed inclination for internecine Ukrainian strife, by the infamous “struggle for the mace” [mace was the insignia of hetman’s power. – Ed.], and the equally infamous penchant for bowing to every demand presented by the “elder brother” from Moscow (at least, Sultan Mehmed guaranteed people of the Hetmanate freedom of religion and his personal protection. Remember also the words of Ivan Bohun that it was better to pay homage to the Sultan, because “those people are warriors from an early age,” rather than to despotic Tsar Alexis). Finally, realizing the urgent need for an alliance with Turkey, the leaders of the Ukrainian People’s Republic sought to establish and develop relations with that country back in 1918. This article lacks space to mention well-known, “classic” facts such as the life of Nastia Lisovska, better known as Roxelana. You are welcome to read about all that in our book Return to Tsarhorod (Kyiv, 2015, Ukrainian Press Group Publishers).

In this context, what Ukrainians should remember today? Mutual understanding and cooperation with the Republic of Turkey is now so important that it can, without exaggeration, be regarded as one of the most important neighbors of Ukraine. The “Turkish factor,” especially given Vladimir Putin regime’s open hatred for the leadership of that nation, has become a geopolitical one. Ukraine should definitely take it into account, especially since Turkey has been a NATO member for 64 years. And it is highly likely that it is precisely with Ankara that we should reinforce contacts in every way to get the Kremlin really deeply isolated, and not merely speak about it (which is, unfortunately, the case now to some extent), even as this isolation is frequently discussed, sometimes without true knowledge of the issue.