Turkey's Erdogan gives Putin condolences over sub fire

ISTANBUL

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday expressed condolences to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin over this week’s deadly submarine fire that killed 14 crew members.

In a phone conversation, Erdogan also offered his condolences to the families of the crew and the Russian people over the disaster, said Turkey’s Presidential Communications Directorate.

According to a statement, Erdogan and Putin also discussed bilateral relations and regional issues as well as the latest developments in Libya.

On July 1, a fire broke out on a naval deep-sea research vessel in the Barents Sea, taking the lives of 14 servicemen, including seven high-ranking officers.

*Writing by Burak Bir