Russian President Vladimir Putin decreed sanctions against Turkey Saturday for downing a warplane on its way to Syria.

The body of the pilot was recovered, and Turkish delegates presented it to Russian diplomats on Sunday.

This act is the first of its kind since the Cold War, and has created a rift between the two countries on the content most involved in getting rid of ISIL (Islamic State in Iran and the Levant). In the past year, Russia and Turkey were able to unite and work together to train local combatants, but it seems it is all for naught since Putin has now decreed economic sanctions on Turkey.

The sanctions include a ban on certain unspecified goods, and more importantly, forbids extensions of labor contracts for Turkish citizens working in Russia.

Putin has taken his payback too far. Taking his wrath out on Turkish workers in Russia, who have nothing at all to do with the incident, is proving Putin does not care for the people of Russia. After all, many of those workers are immigrants, and have been living and working in Russia for years.

Russia is Turkey’s primary supplier of natural gas, and Turkey is Russia’s second largest trading partner. Reportedly, more than 3 million Russians have visited Turkey in the past year alone. The number of Turkish workers in Russia, including the families, is approximately 200,000, stated Dmitry Peskov – Putin’s spokesperson.

Putin’s decree, which went into effect immediately, stated: “On measures to ensure Russia’s national security and protect Russian citizens from criminal and other illegal activities, and the application of special economic measures against Turkey.”

Putin is condemning an entire sovereign nation for the actions of a few military personnel. This is similar to what many individuals are doing with ISIL.

It is ironic Putin is fighting an organization that is misrepresentative of an entire nation, and now he is placing sanctions for the actions of a few, which he has stretched out on an entire country.

Putin may think the decreed sanctions he has enforced make him appear strong, but in fact, it is quite the opposite.

In the past month, a Russian jet crashed in Egypt, another cargo plane crashed along the Nile, and now this jetfighter.

Putin is realizing he cannot control everything. He may have the power to control the national media, and force his ways on the bordering countries, but beyond the outskirts of the Motherland, he is seemingly powerless. The sanctions are a desperate show of dominance, which he is afraid he might lose.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan correctly accused Putin of “playing with fire” concerning involvement in Syria. President Erdoğan also refused to apologize for the incident, but later on Saturday stated he was truly saddened by the incident. Erdoğan asked for a meeting with Putin, but the Russian president declared it would not happen until the Turkish president apologized.

The pressure from the G7 countries and the countless conferences they have had are hopefully bringing Putin to his senses. Russia is currently at war with Ukraine – as much as he denies it – he is actively supporting Assad, and has now placed sanctions on the largest country in the region.

It is befitting to say Putin has bitten off more than he can chew. It will not be long until these sanctions on Turkey will turn on him, and he will be forced to rethink the actions he has taken in the past years. Change is coming for Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Syria and all the countries Putin thinks he can do with as he pleases. There will be consequences. 

Bogdan (Theo) Mynka is a freshman studying music from Kharkiv, Ukraine. He can be contacted at 335-2290 or by [email protected]. The opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of the staff of The Daily Evergreen or those of the Office of Student Media.