Baghdad: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan affirmed during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, that relations with Russia have reached an advanced level. Erdogan stated, “Relations between Turkey and Russia have indeed reached a much more advanced level than ever before.” He emphasized the importance of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, being built by Russia in Mersin Province in southern Turkey, to relations between the two countries, saying, “We have now entered the completion phase of the Akkuyu plant and are waiting for its completion so that we can inaugurate it.”
According to National Iraqi News Agency, Erdogan added, “Simultaneously with the inauguration of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, we will also move together towards the opening of a number of new nuclear power plants, and we are engaged in preparations for this. In addition, we have strong cooperation in the fields of agriculture and energy.” Erdogan also touched on the importance of Russian tourists in Turkey, saying, “Friends from Russia constitute the most important segment of tourists in Antalya.”
For his part, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his appreciation for the attention his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, pays to relations between the two countries, emphasizing that Turkey is one of Russia’s distinguished partners in both foreign policy and the economy. Putin expressed his pleasure at meeting Erdogan again after a long period, saying, “We are keeping our bilateral relations under close observation.” He told Erdogan, “Thanks to your attention, economic cooperation remains at a high level.”
He noted that “joint projects with Turkey are still underway, and the first unit of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant is scheduled to begin operation this year.” Putin stated that Turkey is one of his country’s distinguished partners in foreign policy and the economy, and affirmed that cooperation between Turkey and Russia has significant potential in the cultural and humanitarian spheres as well. Putin pointed to the increasing number of Russian tourists, indicating that nearly 7 million Russian tourists visited Turkey last year. He said, “Today we have an opportunity to discuss these and other issues of mutual interest, and I am very pleased to be meeting with you.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Kyrgyzstan on Monday to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) comprises Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, Iran, and Belarus. Afghanistan and Mongolia have observer status, and 15 countries are dialogue partners, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt.