Turkey, Russia Agree to Revive Ties, Fight Terror
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed to revive the stalled bilateral relationship between the two countries in their first direct contact on Wednesday after the downing of a Russian jet over Syria.
Leaders of both countries also expressed their shared determination to fight terrorism in a phone call on Wednesday.
Russian leader Putin called Erdogan two days after Turkish president sent a message to express his deep sorrow over the downing of a Russian warplane by Turkey on Nov. 24, 2015, in a bid to end a months-long strain in ties between Ankara and Moscow.
“Our president and Putin, president of the Russian Federation, have emphasized the importance of normalizing bilateral relations between Turkey and Russia,” a written statement issued by Erdogan’s office said on Wednesday, Turkey-based Hurriyet Daily reported.
Besides taking necessary steps to revive bilateral relations, the two presidents also pointed to the importance of cooperation in regional, political, economic and humanitarian crises, the statement added. Erdogan and Putin also agreed to meet in person.
Putin also condemned the terrorist attack at Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport on June 28 and shared his condolences with the people of Turkey.
Meanwhile, a statement by Kremlin said Putin will order government to start negotiations to restore bilateral trade cooperation with Turkey.
He will also drop restriction measures against Russian tourists visiting Turkey, the statement by the Russian side added.