President Erdoğan discusses Turkey-Russia ties with Putin

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan discussed Turkey-Russia relations and regional developments with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a statement by the Presidential Communications Directorate said.

The two leaders touched upon developments in the Caucasus, Syria and Libya, as well as international developments.

They also reiterated the determination to further enhance Turkey-Russia cooperation in all spheres.

Turkey and Russia have forged close cooperation in the fields of energy, tourism and defense despite the rivalry in Syria as well as in conflicts in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh, where the two regional powers have also been on opposing sides.

NATO member Turkey bought Russian S-400 missile defense batteries in 2019, triggering U.S. sanctions against its defense industries and warnings from Washington of further action if it bought more Russian equipment.

Turkey, along with the rest of NATO, criticized Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and voiced support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity as Kyiv’s forces battle pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.