Putin – Erdogan re-established dialogue in St. Petersburg – Ouest-France

This is the first foreign visit of the head of the Turkish state since the failed coup of 15 July, followed unprecedented purges heavily criticized by Westerners whose relations with Turkey have greatly strained .

Mr. Putin has reaffirmed on this occasion that Russia “categorically against any attempt to act unconstitutionally” and hoped that Turkey “can overcome this problem and order and Constitutional law (y) return “. This abortive putsch, which Ankara accuses the exiled preacher Fethullah Gulen to the United States to be the organizer, has instead escalated the Turkish-American relations. “If Gülen is not extradited (in Turkey), the United States will sacrifice relations (bilateral) because of this terrorist ‘, warned Tuesday the Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag.

a new stage in Russian-Turkish relations?

“Your visit, which comes despite the very complicated political situation in Turkey, shows that we all want to restore dialogue and relations in the interest of the Russian and Turkish peoples “, Putin said after a handshake between the two leaders at Konstantinovski palace, 15 km south of St. Petersburg.

for his part, Erdogan had announced visit Russia for a “new stage, a zero start” with Vladimir Putin, stressed that relations between Moscow and Ankara entered a phase “quite different” and estimated that ‘solidarity’ between the two countries would contribute to resolving problems in the region.

Un political and economic rapprochement

The visit comes one month after the reconciliation late June. Turkish President had expressed “regret” for the destruction in November by the Turkish Air Force of a Russian bomber over the Turkish-Syrian border. Putin was then one of the first prominent foreign officials to call the phone Erdogan to condemn the coup of July 15 and did not have the same qualms that European leaders following of the repression that followed.

with the warming of bilateral relations, the TurkStream pipeline project that would carry 31.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year to Turkey via the Black sea and that of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant should also become topical. According to Turkish media, several ministers including that of Energy, Berat Albayrak, and the head of the Turkish Intelligence Service (MIT), Hakan Fidan, accompany Erdogan in Russia.

However, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday expect a “hard work” resuscitate “economic cooperation” with Turkey at a press conference with Erdogan after a meeting of qualified “constructive” and “free” . “Our countries have every opportunity to fully restore the bilateral cooperation” , however, assured Putin, stressing that the “priority” is to return this cooperation “to the level before the crisis,” . For his part, Erdogan believes that “Russian-Turkish relations will become even stronger” .

to “measures taken jointly by Russia and Turkey ‘ in Syria?

“what we will see is a more lasting relationship but more pragmatic kind, not built on a personal or ideological relationship, but on interests common practice “, said Alexander Baounov of the Carnegie Centre in Moscow. “The two countries need each other” , including a settlement of the Syrian crisis, echoed the Russian analyst Fyodor Lukyanov, Chairman of the Council for Foreign Policy and defense.

If the leader of the Turkish state still insists on the departure from power of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to which Moscow strongly opposes, he acknowledged in an interview with Russian state media that “Russia is a key player, very important for the establishment of peace in Syria” , noting that “this problem must be addressed with measures taken in common Russia and Turkey “.