Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin met Wednesday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, to discuss bilateral and global issues, including trade, energy cooperation and regional conflicts, Turkey’s state broadcaster TRT reported.
In their first in-person meeting since September, Erdoğan invited Putin to visit Turkey, an offer Putin accepted, affirming his commitment to a future visit. The meeting highlighted ongoing cooperation between Turkey and Russia, particularly in strategic energy projects like the Akkuyu nuclear power plant. Erdoğan noted discussions with Russia on the proposed Sinop nuclear power plant in Turkey’s northern Black Sea region.
“We have discussions with Russia on the Sinop nuclear power plant, and I believe we can take serious steps on that,” Erdoğan said.
The Turkish president expressed confidence in achieving an ambitious trade volume goal of $100 billion, emphasizing strong potential for growth in bilateral relations. He highlighted record-breaking tourism numbers, with 6.7 million Russian tourists visiting Turkey last year.
Putin acknowledged the challenges faced by both countries but noted steady progress in their relationship. “Despite all challenges, the relationship between Russia and Turkey is progressing step by step,” Putin said.
The bilateral talks, lasting over an hour, covered various topics, including the situation in Syria and Ukraine. Before the meeting Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Syria would be among topics of discussion, adding that Russia supports the peace process in Syria and has made significant contributions to that effort.
Turkey had severed ties with Syria after the Syrian civil war erupted in 2011 and supported the rebels who wanted to topple President Bashar al-Assad.
Under Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) government, Ankara has become more aggressive and active in conflicts in the region, supporting proxies.
Turkey and its proxies have seized control of territory inside Syria in several military operations launched since 2016 against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and Kurdish militia.
In 2022 Erdoğan said that removing Assad was no longer a priority for Turkey. Despite high-level talks between Ankara and Damascus brokered by Russia the same year, no significant progress was made.
However, as part of a broader effort to improve relations with Gulf countries, Turkey is now considering re-establishing ties with Damascus if there is progress on counterterrorism efforts, on the return of millions of Syrian refugees hosted in Turkey and on the political process.
The SCO summit, attended by leaders from 16 countries, focuses on regional security and cooperation in various fields, including energy, health, education and economic development. The organization, established in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, aims to combat terrorism and enhance border security. Recent expansions align with Beijing and Moscow’s goal of countering perceived US hegemony and reshaping the international system to their advantage.
This year’s summit will conclude with more than 20 documents on cooperation and other issues. Notably, Belarus is expected to join the SCO after being promised membership at the 2023 summit.
Turkey, a dialogue partner of the SCO since 2012, recently proposed establishing a technical-level working group for a “mega grid” to enhance energy transition technologies and market reach among member countries.
“Our countries are blessed with abundant resources, including natural resources like oil, gas, minerals and human resources,” Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said. “By working together, we can leverage these resources more effectively and ensure that benefits are widely shared.”