Putin sends early Republic Day greetings to Erdogan, Kremlin says

MOSCOW

Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent an advance congratulatory message to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for Republic Day, which Türkiye celebrates on Oct. 29, the Kremlin said Wednesday.

“There are no plans for a phone call today, but, of course, a congratulatory message from the president of Russia was sent in advance,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow.

Republic Day marks the anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Türkiye in 1923, when the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye declared the nation a republic and elected Mustafa Kemal Atatürk as its first president. The holiday is one of Türkiye’s most important national events.

Turning to developments in US-Venezuelan tensions, Peskov said all disputes should be resolved in line with international law.

“Venezuela is a sovereign state, and in any case, we proceed from the fact that everything that happens around Venezuela must happen in accordance with the spirit and letter of international law,” he said.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly claimed that the country faces its most serious invasion threat from the US in the past century.

According to US media, Washington accuses Caracas of failing to combat drug smuggling. In September, the US Navy deployed eight ships, a nuclear submarine and about 10,000 troops to the Caribbean Sea, destroying at least nine high-speed boats allegedly used for drug trafficking.

Reports said US President Donald Trump ordered his administration to halt diplomatic efforts and consider strikes on suspected cartel facilities in Venezuela in the coming weeks.

Peskov said the Venezuelan issue has not been raised in recent Russian-American discussions.
“This issue was not discussed in any way, and it was not on the agenda,” he said.

Commenting on Trump’s remarks about easing tensions between South Korea and North Korea, Peskov said Moscow supports any initiatives that promote dialogue.

“We are ready to welcome any steps in this direction,” he stated.