The Kremlin on Monday denied Turkish media reports suggesting that Russian President Vladimir Putin was planning to visit the Turkish capital of Ankara.
When asked if the reports were correct, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said they were not.
Erdoğan and Putin had a phone call on March 25 following which reports were published in the Turkish media suggesting that Putin would soon meet with Erdoğan in Ankara. The reports said the visit was being kept secret and that Erdoğan and Putin would visit Turkey’s south, which was hit by two powerful earthquakes in February.
A visit by Putin might have strengthened Erdoğan’s hand before presidential and parliamentary elections slated for May 14, but an arrest warrant recently issued by the International Criminal Court for Putin due to war crimes committed in Ukraine might have put Erdoğan in a difficult situation, some analysts say.
Turkey has been playing the role of mediator between Russia and Ukraine since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Meanwhile, Russian state-owned news agency RIA reported on Monday that the deputy foreign ministers of Russia, Turkey, Iran and Syria may hold consultations in Moscow in early April.