President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey and Russian Federation are determined to boost ties to levels even beyond what they were before the jet crisis erupted last November.
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Putin, after meeting with President Tayyip Erdogan, said the talks will have an important bearing on the future of Russia-Turkish relations.
Putin earlier in the meeting said it’s Russia’s “first stance” to oppose any “actions that counter the constitution”.
Russian Federation is aware of Bulgaria’s readiness to renew the South Stream gas pipeline project, but EU’s rock-solid guarantees are needed for that, says Vladimir Putin.
“We’ve had a comprehensive and constructive (talks), I would like to emphasize, we discussed a broad range of issues including bilateral relations and global issues”, Putin told a press conference after his meeting with Erdogan.
In the first half of 2016, the number of Russian tourists visiting the country plummeted by 87%.
Erdogan’s visit to Putin’s hometown of St Petersburg on Tuesday was also his first foreign trip since a failed coup attempt last month.
The visit comes as Turkey’s ties with the West have cooled over criticism of a crackdown on alleged coup-plotters.
“If the U.S. does not deliver (Gulen), they will sacrifice relations with Turkey for the sake of a terrorist”, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag told reporters during a televised briefing in the capital Ankara.
Relations remained at a freezing point for seven months until Erdogan met the Russian demand for an apology over the incident.
The two leaders will also seek common ground in resolving the conflict in Syria where they still back opposing sides.
Russian Federation is a main, key and very important player in establishing peace in Syria. Gulen denies the claims.
Probably not Fethullah Gulen, that’s for sure.
Mr Putin, one of the first foreign leaders to phone Mr Erdogan offering support after the coup attempt, shares none of the scruples of European Union leaders about the ensuing crackdown.
Erdogan had personally pushed back against US pressure to isolate Assad at the start of the Iraq war. More than 60,000 people in the military, judiciary, civil service and education have been detained, suspended or placed under investigation since.
These will also be lifted as economic ties between the countries are normalized, the leaders said.
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“We don’t want Syria’s disintegration, but the departure of Bashar Assad”, the Turkish leader said in an interview with Russia’s Tass news agency.
