Erdogan seeks to improve ties in visit with Putin on Tuesday

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to visit Russia on Tuesday to improve bilateral political and economic ties between the two countries after their relations took a turn to the worse in the wake of Turkey shooting down a Russian jet in November 2015.

 

Erdogan said that upcoming talks with his counterpart Vladimir Putin will “open a new page” in Turkish-Russian relations.

 

“This will be a historic visit, a fresh start. I believe that a new page will be opened [during] ... the negotiations with my friend Vladimir,” Erdogan told TASS news agency in an exclusive interview ahead of his state visit on Tuesday, adding “there is yet much for our countries to do together.”

 

Erdogan praised Russia’s involvement in the Syrian conflict, saying he believes it will play a crucial role in reconciling rival parties in the war-torn country.

 

“A solution to the Syrian crisis cannot be found without Russia,” Erdogan said, stressing that Russia’s intervention is significant for the peace process in Syria.

 

Putin’s aide Yury Ushakov spoke to reporters on Friday about the upcoming meeting and said, “The Syrian crisis will be discussed in depth” between the two leaders for the first time in months, adding “we hope that Turkey’s position will become more constructive.” 

 

Russia is a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, supporting the Syrian army militarily and advocating internationally for Assad to play in integral role in the political transition to end the civil conflict.

 

Turkey, meanwhile, has long insisted that no solution to Syria’s civil war is possible with Assad at the helm.

 

After Turkey shot down a Russian Su-24 warplane over the Turkey-Syria border last November, relations between the two soured.

 

Russia imposed economic sanctions on Turkey, stopped exporting natural gas to the country, ended visa-free travel, and banned Russian citizens from taking package holidays to Turkey – all efforts aimed at punishing Turkey for its action. 

Russia said the restrictions would not be lifted until Turkey apologized for the incident and paid for reparations.

 

Erdogan issued an apology in a letter sent to Putin two weeks ago. According to the Kremlin, Erdogan wrote, “I want to once again express my sympathy and deep condolences to the family of the Russian pilot who died and I say: ‘I’m sorry.’”

Erdogan reportedly expressed his desire to resolve the situation that resulted from the downing of the jet, noting that, “Russia is a friend to Turkey and a strategic partner, with which the Turkish authorities would not wish to spoil relations,” the statement from the Kremlin said. 

 

Russian-Turkish relations have since improved. The Turkish president said that “productive talks” have resumed with Russia with regards to neighbouring Syria in a recent interview with Turkey’s TRT channel.