Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed bilateral relations with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, a statement by the Presidential Communications Directorate said Thursday.
The two leaders also talked about regional developments, in their first phone call following last week’s face-to-face meeting in Sochi.
Erdogan also congratulated Putin on his birthday, the directorate noted.
Russia and Turkey have historically had complex relations, balancing regional rivalries with finding common ground on economic and strategic interests.
Read Also: Erdogan Reveals Details of Meeting with Putin on Syria
In recent years, the two powers have clashed in particular in Syria, where Moscow and Ankara support opposing camps in the civil war.
In Syria last year they sponsored a cease-fire deal in the northwestern Idleb region, home to the last major opposition groups in northwest Syria.
Last week, the two presidents discussed curbing renewed violence in northwestern Syria and on possibly expanding Moscow’s sales of military defense systems to Ankara despite U.S. objections.
The talks took place in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi, and the Kremlin said that Putin was meeting Erdoğan after completing a period of coronavirus-related self-isolation.
The Turkish president was accompanied by the head of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Hakan Fidan, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, and Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın.
The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
