Turkey, Russia agree to revive ties, fight terror
AP photo
Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to revive the
stalled bilateral relationship between the two countries in their first direct
contact on June 29, while also expressing their shared determination to fight
terrorism.
Russian leader Putin called Erdoğan two days
after the latter 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 Erdoğan's office said on June 29, after a 45-minute-long phone
conversation between the leaders which was described as “positive and
productive” by presidential sources.
Apart from taking necessary steps to revive
bilateral relations, the two presidents also pointed to the importance of
cooperation in regional political, economic and humanitarian crises, read the
statement.
The two leaders voiced their determination to
both revive their mutual relationship and fight terrorism, the statement said,
adding they also agreed to meet in person.
According to the statement, Putin also condemned
the terrorist attack at Istanbul'sAtatürk Airport on June 28 and shared his condolences
with the people of Turkey.
Meanwhile, Putin will order government to start
negotiations to restore bilateral trade cooperation with Turkey, according to a
statement by Kremlin.
He will also drop restriction measures against Russian tourists visiting Turkey, the statement added.