Turkish, Russian presidents meet on sidelines of SCO summit in China

TIANJIN, CHINA/ISTANBUL

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit.

Erdogan, who is in Tianjin, China, to attend the 25th SCO Heads of State Council Summit, met with Putin in a hotel.

“My dear friend, you know how much we would like to welcome you to Türkiye. My invitation remains open. We look forward to seeing you in our country as soon as possible. We have a sincere relationship based on trust. Our relationship continues to progress unaffected by temporary challenges,” Erdogan said.

During the meeting, Erdogan and Putin discussed bilateral relations between Türkiye and Russia, as well as regional and global issues.

Erdogan stated that relations between Türkiye and Russia continue to progress based on mutual respect and shared interests and that the spirit of cooperation established in the past in areas such as trade, tourism, investments, and energy continues.

The Turkish president said Türkiye continues efforts for a just, lasting peace in the Ukraine war and that the Istanbul talks contributed to the process.

The two presidents exchanged views on Israel's attacks on Gaza and the development of Syria while preserving its political unity.

Erdogan expressed hope that the Azerbaijan-Armenia negotiations would lead to lasting peace and stability in the Caucasus and would be in the interests of both Türkiye and Russia.

Erdogan was accompanied by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek, National Defense Minister Yasar Guler, Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacir, Trade Minister Omer Bolat, National Intelligence Organization chief Ibrahim Kalin, Turkish Communications Directorate chief Burhanettin Duran and Chief Presidential Advisor Cagri Erhan.