“This new page will include military, economic, and cultural cooperation”, Erdogan told TASS.
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According to Putin the two discussed the expansion of economic ties between the two countries.
“Yes and we will achieve that”, Putin told a joint news conference after an initial round of talks.
Putin’s rapid phone call expressing his solidarity to Erdogan in the wake of the failed putsch had been a “psychological boost”, the Turkish president said.
The two strongmen leaders conspicuously skirted one major issue dividing them and that lay at the heart of their falling out – the war in Syria.
“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”.
Calling the Russian leader his “dear friend”, President Erdogan said Turkey is ready to implement a natural gas pipeline project with Russia and a deal to build Turkey’s first nuclear power plant.
Russia also imposed a ban on Turkish agricultural imports following the shootdown, as well as a ban on charter flights between the countries, which reduced the flow of Russian tourists into Turkey to a trickle, hurting a sector also suffering the impact of a string of terror attacks across the country.
Putin gave his support to Turkey over the July 15 coup attempt and said he stood by the elected government, offering his condolences to the victims of the attempt.
Greater cooperation in the theater of war would be in the interests of both sides, said Hakura. But Erdogan’s cordial trip to Russian Federation, a nation at odds with the West on a host of issues from Syria to Ukraine, may give Turkey’s allies pause for thought.
Then the situation took a dramatic turn, with events in Turkey giving Erdogan’s rekindled ties with Putin unexpected significance. Russian Federation is flying a bombing campaign in support of President Bashar al-Assad while Turkey says that the Syrian leader must leave power. The all-important Turkish tourism industry was devastated by the loss of almost 3.5 million Russian travellers per year, and bilateral trade between the two countries, which totalled US$25 billion (S$34 billion) last year, was halved.
“Both parties are determined to improve bilateral relations and it is my assumption that the communities of both countries have this expectation of us”, said Erdogan.
It noted that May confirmed Britain’s intention to participate in ceremonies marking the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the first British WWII convoy in the Russian city Arkhangelsk this month.
Turkey warned the United States on Tuesday not to sacrifice bilateral ties over Pennsylvania-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara blames for the failed coup and wants to see extradited to face trial.
Tuesday’s meeting with Putin was Erdoğan’s first visit overseas since the July 15 coup attempt and the first visit with Putin since a year ago.
Some minority calls inside Turkey for Ankara to seek a strategic partnership with Russian Federation to replace ties with the United States and the European Union are unlikely to gain ground.
By getting closer to Mr Putin, Mr Erdogan not only aims to preclude such a scenario, but also hopes to regain for Turkey a key role in the Middle East, a region in which Turkish influence has recently been declining. The Muslim Tatars have long had close ties to Turkey.
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Turkey is also interested in resuming talks over the Turkish Stream gas-pipeline project with Russian Federation.
