Fewer People In Türkiye Believe In 'Extraordinary Power' Of Russian Army Writer

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) Ukrainian writer Olena Lytvynenko, author of The Viburnum Flavor of Turkish Tea, said this in an interview with Ukrinform.

“Many people have already realized that the perception of the 'extraordinary power of the Russian army' does not correspond to reality. At the same time, some Turks still believe that Russia has not yet begun to use its military potential to its full extent,” Lytvynenko said.

According to her observations, Turks' attitudes toward Ukraine largely depend on whether they have visited the country, have ties to it, or receive information about it solely from books and news reports.

“Generally speaking, people in Türkiye began talking more about Ukraine after 2022. I think that many Turks, even those who had visited Ukraine, did not realize how long and determinedly Ukrainians would be able to resist the enemy,” the writer said.

However, she noted that decades of Soviet and later Russian propaganda, including the notions of Russia's“strength and greatness” that it helped shape, continue to influence the views of part of Turkish society.

Olena Lytvynenko came to Türkiye to study in 2013 and later worked as a diplomat at the Embassy of Ukraine in Ankara. Her first book, The Viburnum Flavor of Turkish Tea, was recently published.

Read also: Ukraine, Turkey could shape new balance of power in Black Sea – expert

As a reminder, in an interview with Ukrinform, Kadir Temiz, President of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies (ORSAM) in Ankara, said that Türkiye's foreign policy is significantly closer to Ukraine than to Russia, although it continues to maintain dialogue with Moscow.

Photo courtesy of Olena Lytvynenko's archive

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