On Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin met at the official presidential residence in Sochi in southern Russia.
The Turkish president was accompanied by the head of the National Intelligence Organization Hakan Fidan, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, and presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin during the visit.
Prior to the meeting, the two heads of state made remarks on the content of the meeting.
Speaking to the press before the meeting, Erdoğan said, “There are great benefits in continuing the relations between Turkey and Russia which are getting stronger every day. The steps we take together regarding Syria are of great importance. The peace of the region also depends on the relations between Turkey and Russia.”
On his part, the Russian President underlined that, “Our meetings do not always proceed without problems but related institutions are able to reach resolutions.” Putin added that Turkish investment in Russia has reached $1.5 billion, whereas Russian investment in Turkey stands at $6.5 billion as major projects continue as planned.
Cooperation between Turkey and Russia is also crucial to ensure truce and permanent peace in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region, Putin also stated.
Putin also emphasized that bilateral trade between Turkey and Russia stands at 50 percent in the first 9 months of 2021, making up for previous losses and achieving a major rise amid the COVID-19 pandemic, while also adding that Russia’s cooperation with Turkey continues successfully in the international arena, referring to the two countries’ stances on both Syria and Libya.
