Putin, Raisi and Erdogan holding hands - with this picture from their summit meeting, the three heads of state are sending a signal of unity. Foreign Minister Baerbock finds so much obvious proximity between the head of the Kremlin and the president of the NATO state Turkey very irritating.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has criticized Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his pose in a group photo with the presidents of Russia and Iran. The picture, taken on Tuesday at a summit meeting between Erdogan, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin and Iranian Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran, shows the three authoritarian heads of state holding hands and smiling.
"The fact that the Turkish President is in this photo is a challenge, to put it politely," said Baerbock on "The Right Questions" in "Image" format. As a NATO state, Turkey is giving Ukraine "massive military support" in the war against the aggressor Russia and is also involved in the recent agreement to secure Ukrainian grain exports, the Greens politician noted. "That's why this photo is more than incomprehensible to me, especially from the point of view of a NATO member."
The constellation in the picture also shows how important it is "that we stand together with value partners" who "not only believe in the international rules, but stand up for them," added Baerbock. "Because there are other players who don't stand up for our values, and when in doubt they also join forces."
The summit meeting in the Iranian capital was officially about improving the situation in civil war-torn Syria. However, Russia's war against Ukraine may also have been an issue, even if it was not discussed publicly. Iran is outwardly presenting itself as neutral in the war, but the Iranian leadership's sympathies for Russia are well known.
