Erdogan and Putin Meet: The Region Has Political Expectations from Turkey and Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated today during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Russia that the normalization of relations between Russia and Turkey will be beneficial for the peoples of both countries, reports the Patria News Agency.

Putin and Erdogan met today at the Konstantin Palace in St. Petersburg, and the Russian president emphasized during the part of the meeting open to the media that relations between Russia and Turkey had declined following the crisis over the downing of a Russian plane.

-Your arrival in Russia, despite the difficult situation in Turkey's internal politics, is an indicator of both countries' desire for normalized relations. This will be beneficial for the peoples of both countries, said Putin.

Regarding the attempted military coup in Turkey, Putin stated that "Russia's principled stance is against any activity that opposes the constitution. I believe that the Turkish people, under your leadership, will succeed in overcoming this problem."

The Russian president emphasized that a bilateral meeting, as well as an inter-delegation meeting, will be held today, where economic and trade relations between the two countries, as well as the joint fight against terrorism, will be discussed.

Erdogan: A Different Phase of Relations

During his visit to Russia, Erdogan emphasized that he believes that the two countries will enter a completely different phase in their relations with this visit and the steps they will take in the future.

-I believe that with this visit and the steps we will take in the future, we will enter a much different process, a different phase in our relations. Your invitation immediately after the attempted military coup on June 15th made both our delegation and our people happy, Erdogan said.

Turkish President Erdogan stated during the meeting with Putin that the region has political expectations from Turkey and Russia.

-The region has political expectations from us. I believe that our solidarity will help in resolving regional issues, Erdogan stated.

The Associated Press reports that Erdogan is arriving in Russia at a time of increasingly tense relations between Turkey and its traditional allies in the United States and Europe, following the crackdown by authorities in Ankara on those suspected of the failed coup on July 15.

AP assesses that both Turkey and Russia, countries that once called each other strategic partners, have been affected by a rift in relations that lasted nearly seven months, during which Russia's ban on selling tourist packages to Turkey and the embargo on agricultural product imports dealt a painful blow to the Mediterranean country.

Moscow also paid a price, as the Russian gas pipeline project towards Turkey and other lucrative deals were put aside.

Ahead of his visit to Russia, Erdogan gave an interview to the Russian agency TASS in which he said he wanted to start anew in relations with Russia and renew cooperation in many sectors.

In that interview, Erdogan repeatedly referred to Putin as "dear" or "respected" and called him a friend.

He emphasized that his visit marks a new direction in bilateral relations, where they will start from scratch.

-A new page will be opened in Russian-Turkish relations. This new page will include military, economic, and cultural cooperation, said Erdogan.

According to him, this will be a "historic visit, a new beginning."

-Our countries have much to do together, Erdogan announced.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies