Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks Friday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who will arrive in Sochi for a one-day visit.
"Vladimir Putin will hold talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the Republic of Turkey in Sochi on August 5. In accordance with the agreements reached at the bilateral meeting of the presidents in Tehran on July 19, it is planned to discuss in detail the topics of Russia-Turkey multifaceted cooperation, including the prospects for further expansion of trade and economic relations and the implementation of joint strategic projects in the energy sector," the press service of the president said in a statement. It also announced further exchange of views on topical issues of the international agenda.
Putin also has "many conversations and working meetings scheduled for that day which do not fall within the public eye but nevertheless take place quite a lot during the day," said Dmitry Peskov, the Russian leader's press secretary.
In Ankara, Erdogan and Putin's Sochi talks are also seen as a continuation of the July 19 meeting in Tehran in the margins of the Astana troika summit, where they discussed pressing issues of bilateral relations and agenda. "If there was a need for new talks, it means the sides have something to say to each other," Huseyin Bagcı, Director of the Turkish Foreign Policy Institute, told TASS in this regard.
Peskov specified that the format of the talks assumes a one-on-one conversation between the leaders, as well as Russian-Turkish talks in an enlarged format. The two presidents will then continue one-on-one communication over a working lunch.
Grain agreements and situation in Syria
According to a Kremlin spokesman, the agenda of the upcoming meeting includes a fairly wide range of topics. "First of all, various dimensions of our bilateral relations: this includes trade and economic cooperation, discussion of regional conflicts, of course, and an exchange of views on both Ukrainian and Syrian affairs. This requires personal attention from the two presidents," Peskov said.
The official representative of the Turkish leader, Ibrahim Kalin, has earlier said that one of the main issues on the Sochi summit agenda will be the situation in Ukraine. He assumes that the grain deal made by the Quartet in Istanbul on July 22, if successfully implemented, could help start negotiations on the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu expressed the same opinion last Wednesday.
Peskov also confirmed that a separate block at the talks will be devoted to regional issues, including the situation in Syria and the situation in Ukraine. The Russian and Turkish leaders are expected to discuss grain agreements in detail in light of possible shipments of Russian agricultural products and fertilizers by sea. "It is a good opportunity to synchronize watches on the subject of the efficiency of the mechanism for the export of grain from Ukrainian ports, to see how effectively it works. And also to exchange opinions on world affairs. The agenda, we see, is very intense," explained the Kremlin spokesman.
Peskov stressed that "there will be an exchange of views on how the first shipment of grain from Odessa went." "In general, this is a good opportunity to assess the effectiveness of the mechanism that was created thanks to the Istanbul agreements," the Kremlin spokesman explained. Peskov added that the agreement on the export of products is "not a one-time mechanism." "It is a mechanism that is designed to ensure the export of the grain that has accumulated in these [Ukrainian] ports, and we hope that this mechanism will continue to work just as effectively," the Russian presidential spokesman said. He called it "a good example that the most complex issues can be solved while taking into account the interests of all parties," "an example of how to negotiate."
Experts in Ankara do not rule out that Erdogan might offer Putin to take the Istanbul agreements as a basis for resolving the energy crisis that Europe could face in the coming winter because of energy shortages and a possible cut in Russian gas supplies. Hulusi Akar, Head of the Turkish Ministry of Defense, believes such an option is possible. He voiced it immediately after the signing of the Istanbul agreements.
Turkey's planned new military operation in northern Syria will also be discussed at the talks in Sochi and, according to Turkish analysts, may be one of the main issues on the agenda. Erdogan has previously stated that the aim of the operation is to expand the 30-kilometer security zone created in October 2019 after Operation Spring of Peace. The issue of a cross-border operation has been discussed by both presidents on several occasions, including in Tehran.
Tensions in Karabakh
Putin and Erdogan may discuss the aggravation of the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh at talks in Sochi on Friday, Peskov assumed in a conversation with reporters. "It cannot be ruled out that the presidents will exchange views in connection with this aggravation," he replied to a related question by TASS.
The Russian defense ministry said earlier that the situation in the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh has been aggravated. According to the ministry, there was a violation of ceasefire near Sarybaba hill by Azerbaijani armed forces. The peacekeepers' command together with representatives of the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides take measures to stabilize the situation.
Military and technical cooperation
Peskov also did not rule out discussion of military-technical cooperation between Russia and Turkey. "The military-technical cooperation between the two countries is always on the agenda and the fact that our cooperation in such a sensitive sphere is developing shows that in general the whole complex of our relations is on a very high level," the Kremlin official said. He confirmed that "including the recent contacts between the two presidents [July 19 in Tehran] touched on the topic of military-technical cooperation in its various aspects." "As a rule, different aspects are discussed at almost every meeting, so, yes, the topic of military-technical cooperation will certainly be discussed in Sochi as well," Peskov noted.
He did not, however, give an answer to whether cooperation on the production of drones by Baykar Makina will be on the agenda. The official representative of the Turkish leader, Ibrahim Kalin, noted on the air of the Kanal 7 TV channel that at the talks in Tehran on July 19 it was a "half-joking talk" and "no commitments are made."
Issues of bilateral agenda
Despite the predominance of the international agenda, Putin and Erdogan at the talks in Sochi will not ignore the issues of bilateral relations, said Peskov. They will be focused on economic cooperation.
According to the head of the Russian-Turkish Business Council Naki Karaaslan, the trade turnover between Turkey and Russia may reach $60 billion by the end of 2022. At the end of six months the figure exceeded $30 billion and is moving towards $50 billion, while a year earlier the volume of mutual trade between Russia and Turkey was about $35 billion.
Ankara believes that during Erdogan's visit to Russia the issue of the speedy transition to national currencies in mutual settlements will be discussed. Head of the Central Bank of Turkey Shahap Kavcioğlu earlier reported that the relevant work between the regulators of the two countries has been completed, and he expects a positive outcome of negotiations at the political level.
An important component of the economic agenda of the talks will be the implementation of the construction project of Turkey's first nuclear power plant, Akkuyu. On July 21, the construction of the fourth power unit was launched at the plant site. The launch of the first unit of Akkuyu is planned in 2023, when Turkey will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of RF
Based on materials TASS