Putin, Erdogan vow for further recovery of ties
By Kamila Aliyeva
The ties between the Russian Federation and Turkey are recovering at a fast pace, and Moscow is pleased with this fact, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on March 10.
"We are very pleased that our interstate relations are recovering at a rather rapid pace, while trade and economic relations are also being restored," the Russian leader said at a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan noting that additional measures and steps aimed at restoration of economic relations in the full-format mode are being carried out, RIA Novosti reported.
On March 9, Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree lifting the ban on import of certain types of fruits and vegetables from Turkey.
“Investment cooperation and preparations for the implementation of major projects are continuing,” Putin said.
He hailed the trustful and effective work of the military departments of Russia and Turkey on Syria.
Erdogan expressed confidence that the talks with Putin would contribute to resolving the problems in the region.
“During the meeting of the Cooperation Council at the Summit level, we will also consider regional issues, and I am confident that our meeting will contribute to the development of the situation in the region as a whole,” he said.
The main elements of cooperation between the Russian and Turkish economies are the military-industrial complex and energy, the Turkish president emphasized.
"I believe that the defense industry, energy and others are the main elements of cooperation of the two economies at present," Erdogan stated.
The Turkish leader stressed that “cooperation on the projects of the Turkish Stream and the Akkuyu nuclear power plant is returning to the previous level in a very accelerated pace and is developing more and more.”
After one-on-one meeting, the presidents will head the countries’ delegations to attend the sixth High-Level Cooperation Council between Russia and Turkey.
The two sides are expected to agree on a series of arrangements on economic, cultural and tourism cooperation, which are due to be revealed later today.
During the visit, Turkish President is accompanied by Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Minister of Justice Bekir Bozdag, Minister of Economy Nihat Zeybekchi, Minister of National Defense Fikri Ishik, Minister of Transport, Shipping and Communications Ahmet Arslan, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Berat Albayrak, Minister of Food, Agriculture and Animal husbandry Faruk Celik, Minister of Culture and Tourism Nabi Avzhi, Chief of the General Staff of the Sun Hulusi Akar.
The Ankara-Moscow ties appear to be on the mend these days, after a drastic worsening in November 2015, when a Russian Su-24 bomber was shot down by the Turkish Air Force. Russia imposed a wave of economic sanctions against Turkey in response to the incident, with the two countries requiring over a year to mend relations.
Erdogan visited Russia in August 2016 – his first meeting with Putin since downing the Russian jet where both sides agreed to restore and develop relations.
In December, Russian Ambassador Andrey Karlov was shot and killed during a speech at an exhibition in Ankara by Mevlut Mert Altintas, a Turkish police officer. Erdogan condemned the attack and called for an investigation.
In February 2017, Russian airstrikes accidentally killed three Turkish soldiers and injured 11 others in northern Syria. Putin immediately apologized for the incident. Ankara said it was satisfied with the Kremlin's actions and statements.
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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva
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