Turkey should not dance to the West’s pipe and be used for an attack against Russia, Ozturk Yilmaz, a Turkish lawmaker and member of the Republican People’s Party, said.

The lawmaker commented on the current tensions between Moscow and Ankara, their possible reasons and implications.

"The main issue is that after the Russian bomber was downed over Syria Turkey didn’t make any diplomatic statements to ease tensions and resolve the crisis in a diplomatic way. This is why now we’re talking about losses Turkey will sustain due to this crisis," Yilmaz told Sputnik.

Currently, trade between Turkey and Russia has reached $26 billion, with $21 billion made by Russia exports. Turkey also receives 54 percent of its gas supplies from Russia.

In order to normalize the relations Ankara should establish dialogue with Moscow, he pointed out.

"In this situation our actions should be very careful. Let’s remember the crisis in Ukraine. Then, the West hit Russia, using Ukraine as a pretext. Now we should not dance to the West’s pipe and be dragged into an open conflict. Turkey must not be used for an attack against Russia," the lawmaker said.

Turkey should first protect its national interests and provide national security, he underscored. The country should not be manipulated and serve the interests of a third party.

"Finally, the situation may challenge the balance of powers in the Aegean region, especially in our relations with Greece and Armenia," he added.

Yilmaz noted that Turkey’s geopolitical position requires a sophisticated and balanced foreign policy.

"We shouldn’t let NATO use Turkey in its standoff with Russia and leave us alone with all the consequences," he said.