Putin gives thumbs up to growing Russia-Turkey ties
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Turkish counterpart he is pleased with growing relations between their countries that will benefit regional security.
Putin said he wants to see continued development of “mutually beneficial partnership in all areas… in the interests of strengthening peace, security, and stability on the Eurasian continent,” in a New Year message to Recep Tayyip Erdogan published by the Kremlin on Sunday.
He specifically mentioned Turkey’s first nuclear power plant, Akkuyu, being built by Russia, and the TurkStream pipeline that will bring Russian gas to Turkey. Putin also noted their joint commitment to combatting terrorism in Syria and working for a political settlement to that country’s civil war.
Turkey’s foreign and defence ministers visited Moscow on Saturday to discuss how to deal with the withdrawal of American forces from Syria after US President Donald Trump effectively handed Erdogan the reins in the war against ISIS in northern Syria.
The two have agreed to coordinate on the ground.
How this will affect the Kurds is not immediately clear. Turkey is threatening to launch an attack on the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG). The YPG have turned to Damascus to help shield them from a Turkish onslaught they fear will follow the departure of their American allies.
Syrian government forces have deployed to the flashpoint Manbij area.
Russia has said they would like to see the regime of Bashar al-Assad return to northern Syria when the Americans leave.
In his New Year message to Assad, Putin said Russia will continue supporting “the government and people of Syria in the fight against terrorism, in protecting state sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
To Trump, Putin said Russian-American relations “are the most important factor in ensuring strategic stability and international security.”
He added that he is open to dialogue with Washington on a wide range of topics.
Putin said he wants to see continued development of “mutually beneficial partnership in all areas… in the interests of strengthening peace, security, and stability on the Eurasian continent,” in a New Year message to Recep Tayyip Erdogan published by the Kremlin on Sunday.
He specifically mentioned Turkey’s first nuclear power plant, Akkuyu, being built by Russia, and the TurkStream pipeline that will bring Russian gas to Turkey. Putin also noted their joint commitment to combatting terrorism in Syria and working for a political settlement to that country’s civil war.
Turkey’s foreign and defence ministers visited Moscow on Saturday to discuss how to deal with the withdrawal of American forces from Syria after US President Donald Trump effectively handed Erdogan the reins in the war against ISIS in northern Syria.
The two have agreed to coordinate on the ground.
How this will affect the Kurds is not immediately clear. Turkey is threatening to launch an attack on the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG). The YPG have turned to Damascus to help shield them from a Turkish onslaught they fear will follow the departure of their American allies.
Syrian government forces have deployed to the flashpoint Manbij area.
Russia has said they would like to see the regime of Bashar al-Assad return to northern Syria when the Americans leave.
In his New Year message to Assad, Putin said Russia will continue supporting “the government and people of Syria in the fight against terrorism, in protecting state sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
To Trump, Putin said Russian-American relations “are the most important factor in ensuring strategic stability and international security.”
He added that he is open to dialogue with Washington on a wide range of topics.