Erdogan said Turkey was entering a “very different period” in its relations with Russian Federation, and that solidarity between the two countries would help the resolution of regional problems.
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The presidents of Turkey and Russian Federation met in St. Petersburg on Tuesday, after months of enmity between their two countries.
The meeting reprsents an improvement in relations between the two countries that deteriorated after the Turkish airforce downed a Russian jet near the Turkey-Syria border a year ago. One pilot is killed, reportedly shot dead by rebel fighters as he parachutes to earth inside Syria. The Kremlin rejected that, with Putin calling the shooting a “stab in the back”.
Now, Israel finds itself suddenly up against a Russian-Turkish partnership aimed at strengthening Iranian domination of Syria – the exact reverse of the Netanyahu government’s objective in resolving its dispute with Ankara and forging deals with Moscow.
Calling Putin his “dear friend”, Erdogan said Turkey is ready to implement a natural gas pipeline project with Russian Federation and a deal to build Turkey’s first nuclear power plant.
Mutual trade and tourism has suffered.
Erdogan insisted to Russian media that Assad must still go – a position opposed by Putin – but did say that the conflict at the heart of the falling out with Moscow could now also become the focus for renewed cooperation between the two sides.
Putin and Erdogan meet to mend ties after jet downing rift was posted in World of TheNews International – https://www.thenews.com.pk on August 09, 2016 and was last updated on August 09, 2016. “So this is why Erdogan has probably shifted to Russian Federation to get much more support from Putin”.
Erdogan in June sent a letter to Putin with a long-anticipated apology for Turkey’s downing of the jet, setting the scene for the meeting Tuesday at Konstantin Palace in St. Petersburg.
After talking to Erdogan, Putin – whose country’s own economy is mired in recession due to Western sanctions over Ukraine and low oil prices – immediately announces an end to the package tour ban and orders his ministers to begin lifting the charter flight freeze and normalising trade ties with Ankara.
The talks between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Reccep Erdogen in St. Petersburg scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 9, are causing trepidation among Israel’s policy-makers and military leaders. Gulen, whose followers in the security forces, judiciary and civil service Erdogan accuses of orchestrating the attempted power grab, denies any connection to the plot.
Russian president expressed support to Turkey in overcoming the crisis after the July 15 coup attempt and added that he was one of those first to call Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
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“This visit strikes me as a new milepost in our bilateral relations, starting again from a clean slate”, Erdogan told Reuters.
