Russia wants to fully restore the ties with Turkey- Putin

By Azernews

By Gunay Hasanova

The meeting between Russian and Turkish President held on August 9 moved the relations between two countries to a new positive direction and served as the beginning of restoration of “axis of friendship” and clean slate between Ankara and Moscow.

The Presidents of Turkey and Russia met in St. Petersburg on Tuesday, after months of enmity between the two countries.

Putin met Erdogan as a very special guest, and, in turn, Erdogan thanked Putin referring to him as “Dear Friend”.

Russia wants to fully restore ties with Turkey, to which end it is drafting a 2016-2019 mid-term program of cooperation in areas including the economy and science, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on August 9, Sputnik International reported.

“As for restoring our relations to their full extent: do we want that? Yes we do, and we will be working that out,” Putin told reporters. “After certain restrictions had been imposed in our relations, some transformations have taken place since. That’s why we will need to keep them in mind as we restore our trade and economic cooperation,” said Putin.

In this regard, he said the sides decided to draft a mid-term program economic, technical and scientific cooperation for the next three years.

In addition, the Russian president stressed that they are aiming to cooperate further with Turkey in different spheres.

"We should not only regain the earlier level, but go even further," Putin said at a meeting with business community of Russia and Turkey.

Moreover, as it previously was reported, one of the main topics of discussion was management of Syrian conflict.

Moscow and Ankara are determined to find compromise on the Syrian reconciliation, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a press-conference.

“We have a common goal which is the Syrian crisis settlement. Considering this common approach, this platform, we will look for common solutions,” Putin said.

Different aspects of further cooperation in the sphere of energy were on the agenda as well.

Ankara has made a positive decision to resume the projects of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant and the Turkish Stream gas pipeline, said Putin.

“We have discussed major joint projects in the fields of energy whose resumption require political decisions,” Putin said. “The Turkish side has already taken corresponding decisions on the Akkuyu nuclear power plant construction and the Turkish Stream gas pipeline.”

Russia and Turkey signed an agreement to construct and operate Turkey’s first nuclear power plant at the Akkuyu site in the Turkish southern Mersin Province in May 2010. The plant is expected to produce about 35 billion kilowatt-hours per year.

The Turkish Stream pipeline project to deliver Russian natural gas to Southern Europe via Turkey may get underway in the near future, Putin said.

“We have initially considered the Turkish Stream not as an alternative to the South Stream, but as an opportunity to expand our cooperation in the area of gas supplied both with Europe and with Turkey,” Putin said.

Moreover, Russian President stressed that another meeting regarding the trade and economic relations with Turkey will be held in autumn 2016.

 “A session of the intergovernmental commission on trade and economic relations with Turkey will take place in the autumn 2016. We have to work hard to reanimate trade and economic relations. This process has already started, but it will take some time,” Putin noted.

 “We intend to pay particular attention to increasing investments, trade flows, implementation of promising projects,” Putin said. “It is very important that business circles support us in that,” he added.

 “I would like to thank President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a sincere conversation, which took place today,” Putin said following the talks with Erdogan on August 9.

 “The talks have confirmed that our countries have every opportunity to restore normal, full-length relations that would contribute to strengthening of stability not only in our region but also around the world. Russia is ready for such work,” he said.

This was Erdogan’s first visit to Russia after the crisis in the two countries’ relations and also after the attempted military coup in Turkey.