Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a comprehensive round of talks with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday in Sochi. Discussions between the two leaders will likely focus on Syria, especially developments on the ground around the northern Idlib province.
Russian diplomats stressed that the talks would be “decisive” in terms of setting future visions for previous understandings on Idlib. Paving the way for the meeting, the Kremlin said Moscow hopes that the two presidents hold “good talks.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitriy Peskov confirmed the Putin-Erdogan summit would focus on the situation in Idlib as well as a host of issues in which Moscow and Akara can cooperate.
“Putin and Erdogan have found the potential to negotiate to reach an agreement on Idlib by showing political will,” said Peskov.
“The agreements have been reached. Unfortunately, the activity of terrorists continues in those regions,” he added.
Noting that the situation was unacceptable and dangerous, Peskov said it hinders the solution process in Syria.
“All of this will be on the summit’s agenda,” he noted.
“Despite everything, Turkey is a partner with whom we have very developed relations and with whom we also have differences of opinion,” explained Peskov.
The Kremlin spokesman stressed that there are indeed very trust-based relations between Putin and Erdogan and that these relations lay the groundwork for serious negotiations.
The Turkish president had said earlier that the meeting’s agenda would include developments in the de-escalation zone in the Syrian province of Idlib and the reality of bilateral relations.
Erdogan pointed out the importance of the role that Turkey and Russia play in the region, noting that Ankara “did not see any differences in relations with Moscow.”
Russian and Turkish analysts, officials, and diplomats had suggested that the summit would result in important decisions regarding the arrangements for the situation in Idlib.
Russian diplomats suggested that the two presidents would likely discuss “new understandings” on Idlib against the backdrop of the failure to implement a part of the terms of the previous agreement signed in 2018.
