Turkish president set to visit Russia to have talks with Putin

ANKARA

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will pay a one-day visit to Russia's coastal city of Sochi on Friday to meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss bilateral ties and international issues.

Erdogan and Putin will meet in person for the second time in 17 days after the meeting in Iran's capital Tehran, where the leaders had a trilateral gathering with their Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi for the 7th summit in the Astana format to discuss recent developments in Syria, the fight against terror groups, particularly the YPG/PKK and Daesh/ISIS, as well as the humanitarian situation and the voluntarily return of Syrians.

During their meeting on July 19, the leaders condemned the increased presence and activities of terrorist groups and their affiliates under different names in various parts of Syria.

Türkiye constantly emphasizes its determination to root out terrorist organizations -- including the Daesh/ISIS and the PKK, along with its Syrian branch the YPG -- in Syria that threaten its security.

The country also reiterates the possibility of another Turkish counter-terrorism operation across its southern border into northern Syria, following other operations in recent years, as long as Ankara’s longstanding concerns have not been met.

Besides Syria, Erdogan and Putin will also discuss the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, which is now in its sixth month.

Thanks to the diplomatic efforts of Türkiye to unblock Ukraine's grain exports, the first grain ship to leave a Ukrainian port in wartime passed through the Turkish Straits after getting a security clearance in Istanbul on Wednesday en route to Lebanon for a delivery that many believe is helping ease the global food crisis.

Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed a historic deal on July 22 to reopen three Ukrainian ports -- Odesa, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny -- for grain exports that has been stuck for months.

The Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship Razoni, carrying over 26,500 tons of corn, is the first grain-loaded ship to leave Ukraine's port of Odesa, and after getting security clearance in Istanbul, the vessel continues to sail to the Lebanese port of Tripoli, its final destination.

Also, Erdogan and Putin will evaluate bilateral relations, mainly focusing on the areas of economy, trade, and energy that constitute the driving force behind Turkish-Russian ties.

The leaders will exchange views on the potential steps to enhance bilateral cooperation as well.