There are interesting parallels between Turkey and Russia. Although tensions between the two countries and their preceding empires date back several centuries, both nations have experienced similar misfortunes, joys and frustrations in their relations with the West. Similarly, they survived the pains Westernization while identifying the process as a political objective and, at the same time, failing to turn away from their roots. These experiences undeniably generated proximity to the West and caused strains in their relations with it. Their similarities, in turn, encourage the two countries to work closer at times of crisis. The Turkish War of Independence, which started in the immediate aftermath of World War I, received much assistance from the Soviet Union. At the time, Moscow's fundamental problem was related to Western imperialism. Following the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, the new Russian Soviet Federated Republic turned its back on Western nations, the representatives of imperialist policies and revealed, among other things, secret agreements and proposals regarding Ottoman territories. From 1920 onward, Moscow sided with the Turkish government against British hegemony, which led Turkey to introduce the principle of councils, a form of Soviet decentralism, to its 1921 Constitution.Today, the crisis in Ukraine is creating similar problems for the Russian government. The ouster of the pro-Russian administration in Kiev by a street movement with EU and U.S. support led to a rapid shift in the regional balance of power. Efforts to admit Ukraine into NATO represented a challenge for Moscow as well, which responded strongly to the developments. Meanwhile, predominantly Russian-speaking parts of the country witnessed major turmoil while the Crimea was annexed by Russia following a referendum. At present, civil war continues in eastern Ukraine and the situation is not necessarily better elsewhere in the country. It appears that the EU turned its back on the Ukrainian government once Russia managed to settle the score. It goes without saying that Ukraine currently represents a heavy burden for Moscow. At this point, the U.S., EU, Japan and Australia are seeking to strong-arm Russia through economic sanctions. Over the past months, the Russian ruble has depreciated roughly 40 percent. Russia's economic sanctions against its counterparts resembles Napoleon's planned invasion of Britain in terms of infeasibility and is falling well short of causing serious trouble.Finding itself between a rock and a hard place, the Russian government must find a way out of its current isolation – which is why Turkey, a country with whom Moscow shares historical and cultural similarities, has become particularly valuable. At this point, the Russians attach great importance to Turkey possibly offering to help with economic and political troubles – something that I was able to observe during a visit to Moscow last week. In a way, Turkey does for Russia today what Moscow did for the Turkish authorities back in 1920 as Turkey is not implementing sanctions on the Russian government and conveniently serves as a gateway to the world. Although President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's ongoing dialogue with President Vladimir Putin leads some observers to invoke the authoritarianism argument, the affinity between the two leaders represents an important opportunity for closer cooperation between Turkey and Russia. It is within this context that Mr. Putin's visit to Turkey ought to be analyzed. The two nations are showing solidary in the face of historic challenges. The importance that the Turkish authorities attach to Mr. Putin's visit and Russia's welcoming of friendly advice and suggestions from Ankara suggests that analysts must develop new perspectives to accurately interpret the situation.