Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the situation in Syria, Libya, and the Caucasus region with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a statement by the Presidential Communications Directorate said Sunday.
During a telephone conversation, the Turkish and Russian Presidents touched on international topics, including proposals for legally establishing formal agreements that guarantee Russia’s security, the situation in the Caucasus, and settlement issues in Syria and Libya.
The two leaders “exchanged New Year’s greetings, summarized the main results of bilateral cooperation and confirmed the desire to further intensify the mutually beneficial partnership between Russia and Turkey.”
Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Crimea has drawn criticism from Turkey, along with the rest of NATO, who voiced support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity as Kyiv’s forces battle pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Last month, Putin criticized Kyiv for deploying Turkish-made drones in its conflict with pro-Moscow separatists.
Ankara says it cannot be blamed for Ukraine’s use of Turkish-made drones, adding that if a state buys Turkish weaponry, it is no longer a Turkish product but belongs to the country that has purchased it.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu urged Russia last week to drop “one-sided” demands and adopt a more constructive approach in its standoff with Western powers and NATO over Ukraine.
