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FAZ: ‘On a tightrope’ Erdogan

The gas crisis in Europe, Erdogan’s visit to Kiev and the political dimensions of the Olympic Games starting today in Beijing in the press.

Post in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung Commenting on the Turkish president’s sixth visit to Kiev since 2019 and Turkey’s efforts to prevent a military conflict between Ukraine and Russia: “Erdogan pledged his country’s intention to support Ukraine during his visit to Kiev. However, before leaving for Kiev, Erdogan said Putin was expected to meet with him in Ankara in the days following his return from Moscow. Beijing “.

According to the newspaper, the Turkish president is “walking on a tightrope. Not only because Ankara bought the Russian S400 air defense system. Turkey receives 40% of its natural gas from Russia, with no other alternative available. Russians have traditionally been the largest group of holidaymakers in Turkey, and Russia is a very important market for Turkish agricultural products, while Erdogan supports a larger NATO presence in the Black Sea region. has massively increased its naval presence in the Black Sea since the annexation of Crimea.

HB: “Good news” for Greek shipowners

Report by her correspondent Handelsblatt in Greece Gert Heller refers to the “shipowners of Piraeus”, who by investing in time now benefit from the highest prices. “The gas crisis is forcing Europe to reconsider its dependence on Russia. The state-owned Gazprom already reduced its deliveries in January. In the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, there is a risk of supply problems. liquefied natural gas (LNG) can help secure gas supply for the whole of Europe, and this is good news for Greek shipowners, who have invested heavily in the construction of LNG tankers in recent years. the most modern fleet in the world is under their control “.

In fact, as he characteristically comments, “Greek shipowners recognized the trend towards LPG from an early age. They specifically invested in LPG tankers since the 1990s and gained significant influence in ship design, such as the development of very light gas tanks. Greece, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan have traditionally been the largest buyers of liquefied natural gas, with Australia remaining one of the largest suppliers in the region. However, it is becoming more and more important as a supplier in Europe, while this year it is expected to surpass Qatar and Australia “.

The “political” Olympic Games in Beijing

The Berliner taz comments on the front page of the Olympic Games, which started in Beijing today, describing them as “one of the most controversial events in recent sports history”. As he puts it, “In 2008, when the same city hosted the Summer Games, China was still an authoritarian country. But in 2008 there was still hope that the games could help open up and liberalize China. And some improvements have been made. (…) Beijing has not hesitated to spend to turn the Olympics into a massive propaganda campaign. accuse the Chinese government of politicizing the Olympic Games. ”

The article characteristically points out that regardless of the country where they are held, the Olympic Games have been and always are highly political. In fact, he concludes that the attention they are receiving worldwide “is an opportunity to highlight human rights abuses, expansionism and authoritarianism of the Chinese leadership.”

Chryssa Vachtsevanou

SOURCE: Deutsche Welle

Source: Capital

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