Putin to visit Turkey on February 12

(Patria) - Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit NATO member Turkey on February 12 to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a Turkish official confirmed yesterday.

Putin's visit will be his first to an Alliance member since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Reuters reminds.

Putin's foreign travels have been limited since last March when the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against him for the alleged deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia, which is considered a war crime, reports RSE.

Russia has denied the accusation and called it scandalous, adding that it is legally invalid in any case because Russia is not a member of the ICC. Turkey is also not a member of the ICC's Rome Statute, so Putin can travel to Turkey without fear of arrest.

Since the beginning of the war, Turkey has been trying to maintain good relations with Moscow, as well as with Kyiv. Ankara has provided military support to Ukraine and expressed support for its territorial integrity, but, however, fundamentally opposes sanctions against Russia.

Turkey is trying to persuade Russia to return to the so-called Black Sea Grain Initiative after Moscow withdrew from it last July, ending a year of protected exports from Ukrainian ports amid the war.

Erdogan said that alternatives to that agreement have not proven to be a long-term solution.

At the same time, Erdogan will travel to Egypt on February 14, officials said, after the two countries improved their diplomatic relations with the appointment of ambassadors last year following years of tension.