Russian President Vladimir Putin "warmly" congratulated Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his re-election as Turkey's leader in a telephone conversation on Monday, saying the victory opened up "prospects" to strengthen their ties. "The support expressed by the Turkish people for their leader opens up additional prospects for the development of practical bilateral cooperation in various fields," Putin said during the talks, according to a Kremlin statement.
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The Russian head of state "stressed his great contribution to the development of Russian-Turkish relations in a constructive and mutually beneficial manner," the Kremlin added. According to Moscow, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has "reaffirmed his willingness to continue working together on all urgent issues" on the agenda. Vladimir Putin had already congratulated Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his re-election on Sunday, considering that his victory was a "logical result" that provides "clear proof" of the population's support for his policies.
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Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed Monday morning that Russia had "very ambitious" goals with Turkey. Despite the historic rivalry between their two countries, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin have forged a strong personal relationship, which has become all the more important for a Russia isolated from the West because of the conflict in Ukraine.
Russians and Turks are already linked by a series of joint projects, including the TurkStream pipeline bringing Russian gas across the Black Sea. They collaborate closely on several issues, including Syria, where they support opposing camps. If Turkey has delivered drones to Kiev, it has refused to join the sanctions against Moscow, preferring to claim an intermediary role, as in the agreement that allows the export of Ukrainian grain.