After restoring bilateral ties, Moscow and Ankara should go even further, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday, Sputnik International reported.
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The dispute put two major joint energy projects on hold – the TurkStream gas pipeline across the Black Sea and the Akkuyu nuclear plant being built by Russia’s Rosatom in Turkey.
“Your visit today, which you made despite the really complex domestic political situation in Turkey, shows we all want to restart our dialogue and restore our relations”, said Putin, addressing Erdogan.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday after talks with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin that the two nations can rebuild their damaged ties and make them even closer, promising to back major energy projects with Russian Federation.
Erdogan’s visit is his first foreign trip since the abortive coup, in which more than 240 people were killed.
Just as Putin is sick of being chided for his authoritarian rule, now Erdogan is furious with the European Union and United States for criticising his sweeping purge of alleged Gülen supporters and for threatening to reinstate the death penalty in Turkey.
“If the U.S. does not deliver [Gülen] they will sacrifice relations with Turkey for the sake of a terrorist”, said Turkey’s justice minister Bekir Bozdag.
The media on the other hand thinks that this meeting could lead to issues for North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as Turkey could seek cooperation with Russian Federation in the field of defense.
Turkey suspended over 2,500 more staff from the powerful religious affairs state agency on Tuesday in the latest purge after last month’s failed coup blamed on US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pressed the United States to extradite the man he claims was behind the failed insurrection, and has sought more funds and visa-free travel from the European Union, but it’s unclear what leverage improved ties with Russian Federation could give him.
On July 22, Russia also lifted restrictions on flights to Turkey, which had been implemented temporarily following the coup attempt, after Turkish officials assured their Russian counterparts that additional security measures were being taken. “It is in the hands of the United States to stop Turkish anti-US feeling becoming hate”.
“I am of the opinion that the public of both countries expected this from us”.
Russian Federation and Turkey agreed on Tuesday to speed up work on creation of a joint investment fund, Ulyukayev said.
Despite the timing of the Russian Federation visit, Ankara has insisted that Erdogan’s meeting with Putin is not meant to signal a fundamental shift in Turkish foreign policy.
Supporters of of President Erdogan in Antalya last month, following the attempted coup in Turkey.
Erdogan added that solidarity between Russian Federation and Turkey would help resolve regional issues.
Although Turkish officials deny it, Erdogan’s rapprochement with Moscow is also partly motivated by the desire to show his North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies that he has other potential friends on the worldwide stage, said Hakura.
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“The more muscular Europe’s approach to Turkey, the more likely it is that the agreement will have a longer shelf life”.
