MOSCOW –
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Russia on Friday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, focusing on a grain deal brokered by Turkey and the UN, prospects for talks on ending hostilities in Ukraine, the situation in Syria and the growing economic ties between Moscow and Ankara.
Speaking at the start of the meeting at Putin’s Black Sea residence in Sochi, Erdogan said their talks would help “present the role Turkey and Russia play in the region.” He called the talks pivotal and said the rest of the world was watching them closely.
“Today, of course, the eye of the world is on Sochi,” Erdogan said. “They are following him, wondering what is being discussed and done in Sochi.”
Last month, Turkey and the United Nations helped broker agreements between Russia and Ukraine to clear the way for Ukraine to export 22 million tons of agricultural products stuck in its Black Sea ports since Moscow sent troops to the country more than five years ago. months. The agreements also allow Russia to export cereals and fertilizers.
Three more ships carrying thousands of tons of corn left Ukrainian ports on Friday. The first ship to depart under the terms of the agreement left Ukraine earlier in the week.
Putin thanked Erdogan for helping broker the grain deal, which is overseen from Istanbul by officials from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the UN. The cargo ships are accompanied by Ukrainian pilot boats for safe passage due to explosive mines scattered in the Black Sea.
The Russian leader noted the importance of the deal for many countries around the world that depend on Russian and Ukrainian exports to feed their people and grow their own crops. “It’s an acute problem for many developing countries, which are facing big problems with food and fertilizer,” he said.
In a statement issued after the four-hour talks, Putin and Erdogan stressed “the need for full compliance with the package of agreements reached in Istanbul…including the unhindered export of Russian grain and fertilizer.”
They also noted the “key importance of sincere, frank and trusting ties between Russia and Turkey for regional and global stability.”
In March, Turkey hosted a round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators, who discussed a possible deal to end hostilities. The talks fell apart after the Istanbul meeting, with Russia and Ukraine blaming each other for the lack of progress.
When Putin and Erdogan met in Tehran last month on the sidelines of a trilateral summit with Iran, the Turkish leader made the Russian president wait nearly a minute before entering the room. Some observers interpreted the move as a reflection of Erdogan’s new assertive stance in relations with Moscow, which has come under increasing pressure from the West.
There was no sign of such a stance during Friday’s talks, in which the two presidents praised their ties and promised to develop them further. Erdogan’s visit to Sochi underlined the importance of close ties with Russia for Turkey.
NATO member Turkey and Russia have a complex relationship. While the two countries support opposing sides in Syria and Libya, they cooperate closely on defense, energy and trade deals. Their relationship has frustrated Turkey’s Western allies, who were particularly upset about Ankara’s purchase of a sophisticated Russian air defense system.
Turkey has provided Ukraine with drones, which played an important role in deterring a Russian advance during the initial stage of the conflict, but has not joined in imposing sanctions on Russia.
Putin praised the energy cooperation between Russia and Turkey and highlighted the importance of the TurkStream gas pipeline that brings Russian gas to Turkey and southern Europe through the Black Sea.
“European partners should be grateful to Turkey for ensuring the uninterrupted transit of our gas to European markets,” Putin said.
He noted that Russian-Turkish trade doubled in the first five months of the year compared to the same period last year, an increase that reflects Moscow’s growing focus on ties with Ankara as it faces Western sanctions.
In the midst of a major economic crisis with official inflation reaching almost 80%, Turkey is also increasingly dependent on Russia for trade and tourism. Russian gas covers 45% of Turkey’s energy needs, and Russia’s atomic agency is building Turkey’s first nuclear power plant.
Erdogan stressed the importance of the nuclear plant project, expressing the hope that it will not face any delays, noting that the nuclear power plant will supply 10% of the country’s energy needs.
Speaking to reporters after the talks, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said the leaders reaffirmed that the nuclear plant should be launched as scheduled next year.
He added that they also agreed that Turkey will start paying partially in rubles for Russian gas supplies. Moscow previously switched to rubles in its trade with EU clients to avoid Western sanctions that have blocked most euro payments and frozen Russian foreign exchange reserves abroad.
Novak also said that “big” agreements were reached in the financial field to facilitate payments by Russian companies and citizens.
“Very important decisions reached during today’s talks will take our economic and trade ties to a new level in virtually all areas,” he told reporters.
Relations between Russia and Turkey hit a low point in 2015 when Turkey shot down a Russian warplane near the Syrian border and Moscow responded by halting tourism to Turkey and banning imports of fruits and vegetables and other items from Turkey.
While Moscow and Ankara backed opposing sides in the Syrian conflict, with Russia propping up President Bashar Assad’s government with the help of Iran, while Turkey backed the opposition, the two countries cooperated closely to broker a halt-in deal. fire in northwestern Syria.
Turkey would like Moscow to give the green light to a Turkish operation in northern Syria against Kurdish militants whom Turkey considers terrorists.
Speaking to Putin on Friday, Erdogan expressed hope that their discussion on Syria “will bring relief to the region.”
In a statement after the talks, the two leaders stressed the need for “close cooperation and coordination in the fight against all terrorist organizations.”
—-
Bilginsoy reported from Istanbul