The “Eurasian International Intercultural Dialogue” meeting was held in Istanbul on July 6-7. Among the guests from Russia, Senator Aleksandr Shenderyuk-Zhidkov, hailing from Kaliningrad, the westernmost region of the country under the geographical blockade of the West, addressed the Turkish business world in an interview with Harici.
Relations between Turkey and Russia are discussed on various theoretical grounds in the international context. The prevailing view in Turkish academia is that Turkish-Russian relations are based on centuries of mistrust, but that this does not hamper pragmatic relations between the two countries.
On the other hand, there are those in both Russia and Turkey who are seeking a new kind of partnership in which strategic foundations will be built gradually over the long term instead of pragmatist relations based on a mutual “win-win” formula.
To be sure, Turkey is a NATO country, and optimistic intentions and wishes for the future of Turkish-Russian relations do not always correspond to actual practical realities. However, long-term projects such as Turkish Stream, the establishment of a gas hub in Turkey and the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant bolster those who argue that broader possibilities in Turkish-Russian relations are possible. Of course, the escalation of the war in Ukraine to more challenging levels that could put Turkish-Russian friendship to the test is also part of the pessimistic scenarios.
Leaving aside the discussions in Turkey, it might be interesting to listen to a voice from Russia’s far west. Russian politician Alexander Shenderyuk-Zhidkov is a senator from the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation. He graduated in 2004 from Immanuel Kant Baltic Federation University. Mr. Zhidkov studied business law in Denmark and is a member of the Federation Committee’s Budget and Financial Market Committee. He has worked in industrial agriculture. He is interested in philosophy and often emphasizes Kant’s principles of universal peace in his speeches.
Senator Zhidkov, on the European Union (EU) sanctions list, was in Istanbul in early July with a large delegation. He came from the westernmost region of the country, not connected to the Russian mainland, and spoke in the second place at the “Eurasian International Intercultural Dialogue” meeting at Istanbul Kent University.
Kaliningrad is the birthplace of German philosopher Immanuel Kant and Senator Zhidkov said, “Immanuel Kant was not only a philosopher. He was also an idealist. He thought a lot about what the ideal world should look like in the future.” The Senator often emphasizes the importance of the philosopher’s message of universal peace.
Kaliningrad, which borders Poland and Lithuania, is nowadays more often mentioned as a possible second front between the West and Russia after the war in Ukraine than Kant’s messages of universal peace. Measuring the veracity of these claims at a time when psychological warfare is intertwined with real warfare is another story. However, it is important to note that there are many geopoliticians who claim that Kaliningrad would be the second critical flashpoint in an extended Eastern European war. Moreover, a report that “Wagner mercenaries are ready to march to the Suwalki corridor in a few hours to the area where they are needed” was widely reported in the Turkish media.
The Suwalki corridor is the ground link between Kaliningrad and Belarus. So you can go from Kaliningrad to Moscow by land through this corridor. In reverse, it is the land gateway to the Atlantic world for the NATO member Baltic states, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
In other words, it is an important region for both sides. According to an article published in Politico magazine in June 2022, this corridor is “the most dangerous region on earth.”
Senator Zhidkov says that Poland and Lithuania have blocked Kaliningrad by land and that they are having difficulties in accessing industrial materials such as cement and wood, and that this blockade is also negatively affecting the humanitarian situation.
Asked about war scenarios, Senator Zhidkov insists on referring primarily to Kant. The Senator says that next year they will celebrate Kant’s 300th birthday with a large worldwide event.
Although Senator Zhidkov does not mention it explicitly, the messages of peace from Kaliningrad may also be related to the possibility of the war spreading from there.
By celebrating Kant’s birthday at a time when in Europe the works of Dostoevsky, Pushkin and Tolstoy are being removed from educational curricula and Russia’s universal values are being excluded from the global cultural scene, the Senator is conveying the message that Russians do not view high culture in the same way as European politicians.
To cut to the chase, Turkey also has a position in this dangerous line between the West and Russia. Turkey, which has not joined the sanctions, is seeking to diversify trade routes with Kaliningrad.
“The peace between Russia and Turkey and 100 years of extraordinary relations show that peace is possible for all countries,” said Zhidkov, noting that last month a container line was established between Izmir and Kaliningrad.
“I have no doubt that the relationship between Russia and Turkey is a model for the whole world,” the Senator said, addressing the Turkish business community. He reminds that flights from Kaliningrad to Istanbul take about 3 hours, compared to Moscow, which is an hour and a half shorter: “Kaliningrad is also a free flight zone. We do not need a license from the federal government. All airlines can come to Kaliningrad and utilize our airport.”
Turkish tourists can also use the Kaliningrad route to bring tourists from Russia, Zhidkov said, adding that this city could become a new economic star in Turkish-Russian relations.
Senator Zhidkov also emphasized that Kaliningrad is a free economic zone and that there are great opportunities for Turkish businesspeople in investment, production and trade areas other than tourism.
No matter how one sees it, maintaining the balance in Turkish-Russian relations that has been in place since the beginning of the war seems to be closely tied to keeping the fever in Ukraine under control.
