site.btaCould President Erdogan Win Nobel Peace Prize for Role in Ukraine Peace Talks?

Could Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan win a Nobel Peace Prize if he succeeds in securing peace in Ukraine? Is there a stronger candidate than the one who could possibly prevent World War III, pro-government analysts in Turkey ask. "Erdogan is making sincere efforts to end the war, prevent further casualties and end the tragedy," prominent Turkish analyst Abdulkadir Selvi wrote in a piece for the Hurriyet newspaper, capped "If he secures peace, the Nobel Prize should go to Erdogan". Selvi's opinion is shared by fellow analysts beyond Turkey. One such is journalist Saskia van Westhreenen from the Dutch Algemeen Dagblad. "In recognition of his efforts to end the war between Ukraine and Russia and to secure peace, the Nobel Peace Prize could be awarded to President Erdogan. Who would have thought?," Van Westhreenen wrote in an article published after the March 29 meeting in Istanbul between delegations of the two warring sides. According to Van Westhreenen, the prospects for a speedy end to the war had never been so positive in recent weeks. 

"If all goes well, with his current conduct Erdogan could almost win the Nobel Peace Prize. Mark Rutte or Joe Biden are far from this. And frankly, that's something to think about," Van Westhreenen wrote in the report, quoted in the Turkish Yeni Safak newspaper. 

Turkey won international recognition for its efforts to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine. The country managed to bring together in Antalya on March 10 the foreign ministers of Ukraine and Russia, Dmitry Kuleba and Sergei Lavrov,  the first meeting at this level since the start of hostilities. Furthermore, negotiations took place between delegations of the two countries in Istanbul on March 29, which, according to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, marked the most significant progress since talks began. Moreover, Ankara has made it clear that it has no plans to stop the diplomatic initiatives, expecting to bring at the negotiating table even higher-ranking officials. In an interview with the A Haber TV, the Turkish Foreign Minister said that such a meeting, "at the level of at least foreign ministers" could take place in the next couple of weeks. "We want to host a leaders' meeting," Cavusoglu said, noting that Turkey expects to be given a date for Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to the country. 

Turkey is ready to host a meeting between the Presidents of Russia and Ukraine, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Erdogan was quoted as saying in media reports. "I am determined to organize a meeting with Putin, as well as with Zelenskyy," Erdogan said, adding that he wanted to talk with each of them to discuss possible arrangements for a meeting between the two presidents as soon as possible. 

Turkey's role enjoys the approval of both sides as Moscow sees Ankara's position as balanced, while Kyiv wants Turkey as a future guarantor of its security. In a recent statement Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Ankara has not joined the Russophobic campaign of the West and is generally taking a measured position in the current situation. The British Guardian newspaper highlighted Turkey's special position in an analysis by Patrick Wintour. "Turkey, a NATO member, continues to supply weapons to Ukraine, while refusing to impose sanctions on Russia, and yet is apparently respected enough by both sides to host the Tuesday [March 29] talks," Wintour wrote. 

Turkey's diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine undoubtedly deserve respect. However, even if they succeed, which is something everyone hopes for, awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to a controversial leader like the Turkish President is something else entirely. Erdogan himself has said before that he would not accept the prize if one day it were awarded to him. "The Nobel Prize has become an institution with political and ideological behaviour. For me, the Nobel Prize has no value," Erdogan said, criticizing the Nobel Committee for its decision to award the 2019 Nobel Prize in Literature to Austrian writer Peter Handke, who has been criticized for backing late Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic and for denying the 1995 Bosnian genocide. 

No matter what Erdogan's chances of winning the next Nobel Peace Prize are, and however deserving he would be of it, Turkish analyst Selvi is right about at least one thing: now "the whole world: those who like him and those who don't, are watching Erdogan's efforts".