The shooting down of the Russian jet by a Turkish F-16 over the Syrian border last November saw a furious Putin end economic sanctions on Turkey start a war of words with Erdogan that seemed to damage burgeoning ties.
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The two leaders will also seek common ground in resolving the conflict in Syria where they still back opposing sides.
Speaking on August 9 during a visit to St. Petersburg, Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Vladimir Putin that Turkey was entering a “very different period” in relations with Russian Federation, and that cooperation between the two countries would help solve regional problems.
Moreover, more meetings would be held for major companies of the two countries to discuss revival of mutual trade, investment and implementation of key projects.
While Moscow backs Syrian President Bashar Assad throughout the nation’s civil war and further bolsters that support by launching an air campaign last September, Turkey is pushing for Assad’s removal.
Cavusoglu told state-run Anadolu Agency that the Turkish delegation would head for Russian Federation on Wednesday in search of common ground.
“We are working on that and will settle the issue in the near future”, – Putin added. “We may think differently on how to implement the ceasefire”. “We need to set up our own defense system and develop our own technology in cooperation with other countries”, Cavusoglu said.
Erdogan’s trip to Russian Federation is also his first foreign one since the failed coup in his country on July 15 which saw the authorities hitting back at the opponents and blaming the West for the attempt to topple Erdogan. Gulen denies the claims.
The dispute has strained U.S.
Putin gave his support to Turkey over the coup attempt and said he stood by the elected government, offering his condolences to the victims of the coup attempt.
Ankara has expressed astonishment that no European Union official has visited Turkey in the wake of the coup. The West slapped sanctions on Russian Federation after the Kremlin unilaterally annexed the Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula, and fostered a separatist movement in eastern Ukraine.
He said he believed relations had strengthened and become more resistant to crisis.
“We are not improving ties with Russian Federation to send a message to the West”, Cavusoglu told Anadolu.
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Erdogan: “A lot is expected from us in the region from a political point of view”. “At the same time I do not believe that relations between the two countries will become so close that Russian Federation can offer Turkey an alternative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation security partnership”.
