Peace in the Middle East depends on relations between Turkey and Russia, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday during talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Sochi.
"Strengthening Russian-Turkish relations will be of great benefit. Our joint steps in Syria are of great importance. Peace in this region depends on Russian-Turkish relations," Erdogan is confident.
Meanwhile, the Turkish president told Turkish reporters on board the plane last week about his expectations for his visit to Russia. According to Erdogan, "the meeting with Mr. Putin in Sochi is really important" because "Turkey and Russia are two countries that play an important role in the region." The Turkish president hopes that the meeting with Putin "will result in an important decision" in terms of bilateral relations, which then "will enter a more active phase".
On September 24, Erdogan said that Turkey was expecting Russia to "take a different approach" to Syria. He cited the alleged threat to Ankara from Syrian troops as the reason for this. According to Erdogan, it would be a "manifestation of solidarity" of Russia towards Turkey.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS