Russian President Vladimir Putin warmly accepted his visiting Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan, and explained his hopes that Ankara could fully restore order after a failed military coup last month.
Image shows Erdogan and Putin.
Putin said on Tuesday that Moscow always opposed unconstitutional actions, and will only show respect to the Rule of Law.
Erdogan’s trip to Russia comes as Turkey’s relations with Europe and the United States are strained by what Ankara sees as Western concerns on events that follows the failed coup plot that ended more than 240 lives.
Putin, was reportedly one of the first presidents to call the Turkish leader to offer his support in the putsch’s aftermath.
At the moment, Russia has proven to be a reliable ally, although the political and economic relations between these two countries halted after Turkey shot down a Russian military jet near the Syrian border late last year.
The Russian president described the incident at the time as a “treacherous stab in the back” and curtailed economic relations, placing an embargo on agricultural imports from Turkey and banning package tours to the country.
These events brought Turkey on her knees by 87 percent in the first half of 2016.
The incident also placed on hold the much-favored Russian natural gas pipeline.
It’s indeed, a welcome development that the two warring countries have found mutual reasons to partner together for greatness in a world where bi-polar politics matter a lot.
“Your visit today, which you made despite the really complex domestic political situation in Turkey, shows we all want to restart our dialogue and restore our relations,” said Putin, in preliminary remarks before the two men held talks.
“I want to again say that it’s our principled position that we are always categorically against any attempts at unconstitutional actions,” said Putin.
“I want to express the hope that under your leadership the Turkish people will cope with this problem (the coup’s aftermath) and that order and constitutional legality will be restored.”
Putin said the two men would discuss how to restore trade and economic ties and cooperation against terrorism.
Erdogan said Turkey was entering a “very different period” in its relations with Russia, and that solidarity between the two countries would help the resolution of regional problems.
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