Turkish FM: Russia wouldn’t find more loyal friend than Turkey

By Azernews

By Gunay Hasanova

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Ankara and Moscow discuss all matters openly and without bias, "including those on which there are differences."

The minister pointed out that the main priority in their bilateral relations was to achieve a higher level of cooperation, Sputnik reported.

“The Syrian crisis can be resolved only by sincere cooperation at the international level. It is impossible to achieve a permanent solution to the problem without participation of Russia”, said Cavusoglu.

The foreign minister stressed the importance of working together to achieve a political solution to the crisis and ceasefire.

 “Unfortunately, the situation in Syria is getting worse. These problems cannot be solved in the short term through fighting alone. They cannot be solved single-handedly, either. That is why, we have to work together for a political solution and a cease-fire," Cavusoglu added.

The minister went on to say that for Turkey, Russia is a friend in the region, and Russia would not be able to find a more loyal friend than Turkey.

During Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent visit to St. Petersburg, Turkey and Russia agreed to establish a joint committee on Syria; members of the Turkish committee travelled to Russia later. The committee consists of military and intelligence officers and diplomats from both Russia and Turkey.

Moscow and Ankara support different sides in the Syria conflict, with Turkey deeply opposed to Bashar al-Assad’s regime, of which Russia is a major backer.

As for possible military-technical cooperation with Russia, Cavusoglu said Turkey wanted to develop and strengthen its own defense industry, and would be open to considering such cooperation if Russia is interested.

"It seems to us that NATO members behave in an evasive fashion in issues such as exchange of technology and joint investments. Turkey intends to develop its own defense industry and strengthen its defense system. In this sense, if Russia were to treat this with interest, we are ready to consider the possibility of cooperation in this sector," Cavusoglu said.