Russia And Turkey Agree To Mend “Shattered” Ties
MEP: Russia and Turkey on Tuesday evening have reached a clear compromise on fixing the months of shattered ties, pledging to work closely on economic matters.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Turkish Stream pipeline is going ahead and will be implemented swiftly.
The pipeline was announced by President Vladimir Putin in December 2014 during a visit to Turkey. The project was to replace the abandoned South Stream pipeline through Bulgaria.
Calling Putin his “dear friend” and hailing the start of “a very different period” in relations between the two countries”, Erdogan said Ankara is ready to build Turkey’s first nuclear power plant.
Putin, in his turn, said that the flow of Russian tourists to Turkey, halted after the downing of a Russian jet by Turkey in November, will resume. He also promised to gradually lift restrictions on imports of Turkish agricultural products.
The press conference in St. Petersburg came after the two heads of state met in person in a sign of improving ties that had soured in the wake of the shooting down of a Russian warplane.
After the jet was shot down, Mr. Putin called Mr. Erdogan a back-stabber and demanded an apology, which was refused.
That episode drew an angry response from Moscow, which banned most fruit and vegetable imports from Turkey and halted the flow of millions of Russian tourists. Although Russian gas sales to Turkey continued, the countries’ $30 billion in annual trade decreased by 43 percent, Mr. Putin said.
