Putin, Erdoğan to meet soon in bid to start new era in Turkey-Russia ties

Putin, Erdoğan to meet soon in bid to start new era in Turkey-Russia ties

ANKARA

AFP photo

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin may meet in a face-to-face meeting in August as part of mutual efforts to normalize bilateral ties following months of tension due to the downing of a Russian warplane by the Turkish Air Forces in November. 

Putin called Erdoğan on July 17, a day after Turkish security forces quashed a coup attempt staged by a group of high-ranking officers within the army, telling him that “Russia found anti-constitutional acts and violence unacceptable and is hoping for the restoration of order and stability in Turkey.”

In the phone call, the two leaders agreed to meet in person soon.

Ankara and Moscow have recently been engaged in tentative dialogue to restore relations. Erdoğan had sent a letter to Putin in late June to express his deep sorrow over the downing of the Russian jet and the killing of one Russian pilot on Nov. 24, 2015.

With the normalization of ties, Russia removed some sanctions on trade and restrictions on Russian tourists, though it will continue to impose visa regime to Turkish nationals. A deeper conversation between the two countries over a number of international issues like Syria and Crimea will follow soon between the two foreign ministers before the Putin-Erdoğan meeting. 

Meanwhile, the Kremlin said in a statement on July 17 that Putin had also told Erdoğan that he hoped Russian tourists would be protected in the aftermath of the failed coup attempt.