Putin: ‘Despite all the challenges in the world, relations between Russia and Turkey are progressing’

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin stated, ‘Despite all the challenges in the world, the relationship between Russia and Turkey is progressing step by step.’ President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana, to attend the 24th Heads of State Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. President Erdogan was welcomed at Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport by Oljas Bektenov, the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Akmaral Alnazarova, the Minister of Health of Kazakhstan, Alibek Bakayev, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Jenis Kasimbek, the Mayor of Astana, and Mustafa Kapucu, the Turkish Ambassador to Astana. Putin and Erdogan met within the scope of the visit. During the open part of the meeting, Putin expressed that they are in constant contact with President Erdogan, exchanging views on bilateral relations and discussing the regional situation. Putin emphasized the progress in Russia-Turkey relations despite the difficulties in the world. He mentioned a slight decrease in the trade volume between the two countries in recent months, but highlighted the overall trade volume of 55 billion dollars annually, emphasizing the strategic projects being implemented and the record-breaking tourism numbers. Erdogan also mentioned the lack of face-to-face meetings with Putin for a long time but highlighted the continuous contact between the ministers of both countries. He discussed joint projects between Turkey and Russia, particularly mentioning the negotiations regarding the Sinop Nuclear Power Plant and the positive atmosphere in the relations between BOTAŞ and GAZPROM. Erdogan expressed the target of reaching a trade volume of 100 billion dollars, emphasizing the potential for achieving this goal. Regarding tourism, Erdogan emphasized the importance of hosting around 7 million Russian tourists in Turkey and expressed the ongoing commitment to ensuring their satisfaction. He extended an invitation to Putin to visit Turkey, which Putin accepted. Erdogan was accompanied by his wife Emine Erdogan during the visit, along with Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar, Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Simsek, and Minister of Trade Omer Bolat.