Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, valued Turkey’s positions on the international scene.

This came in press statements after his participation in a meeting at the Justice and Development Party headquarters in Ankara.

In response to a question about the phone call between him and President Putin and the date of the latter’s expected visit to Turkey, President Erdogan stated that the visit “is not in the near future,” but Putin informed him that he “will conduct the visit without delay.”

President Erdogan also pointed out that Putin expressed his deep welcome for Turkey’s positions on the international arena.

On Monday, Putin congratulated President Erdogan on his birthday in a phone call and thanked him for his contributions to strengthening Turkish-Russian relations.

Regarding whether his recent meeting with two members of the US Senate opens the door to Turkey’s return to the F-35 fighter program, President Erdogan stated that Ankara is currently focusing on the issue of F-16 fighters more than the F-35.

He said: “We discussed with members of the US Senate the steps we will take regarding the F-16 aircraft,” referring to the recent visit made by Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Chris Murphy to Turkey.

It is noteworthy that the US Congress recently gave the green light to sell 40 new F-16 fighters to Turkey, in addition to modernizing its current fleet of F-16 fighters.

The post Erdogan: Putin appreciated Turkey’s positions internationally appeared first on Move 2 Turkey.

The year 2023 witnessed intense diplomatic activity by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during which he conducted 21 foreign visits to 15 countries, attended 7 international summits, and focused his efforts to ensure peace.

Erdogan intensified his international contacts after the parliamentary and presidential elections last May, and put the Gaza issue on his agenda in all his meetings with leaders since October, with the start of the Israeli attacks.

It also hosted many foreign leaders during the year, including the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad, the President of the Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed, the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Algeria, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, and the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas.

With his re-inauguration as president of the country at the end of last May, Erdogan began his foreign visits, and his first stops were to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Azerbaijan on June 12. He also attended 7 summits within the scope of his foreign visits,

Last July, Erdogan made five foreign visits, including a visit to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, on the 10th of the same month, to attend the NATO Heads of State and Government Summit, which was held on July 11.

Erdogan also visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the Emirates on July 17, 18, and 19 in his Gulf tour, from which he went again to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on July 20 (he visited it in the second week of June).

Erdogan also visited Hungary on August 20 to attend the celebrations of the Hungarian state’s founding day and some events at the World Athletics Championships, then headed to the Russian city of Sochi on September 4, at the invitation of his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, for a one-day working visit.

The Turkish President also participated in the G20 Leaders Summit in India on September 8, and followed it by attending the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, USA, from September 16 to 20.

In this context, Erdogan conducted a one-day working visit to the Nakhchivan region (belonging to Azerbaijan) on September 25, at the invitation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Peace diplomacy for Palestine

Erdogan intensified his international contacts after the Israeli attacks on Gaza that began on October 7, putting Gaza on the agenda in all his meetings with leaders, introducing intense peace diplomacy.

The Turkish President made 6 visits last November, which included Kazakhstan to attend the tenth summit of the Organization of Turkic States on November 2. In his speech at the summit, he said that “acting in unity and solidarity like the Turkish world will facilitate the path to a ceasefire first and then to lasting peace.” “.

During his visit to Uzbekistan on November 8 to attend the 16th summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization, Erdogan explained that “the Israeli government violated all the values of humanity and destroyed schools, mosques, churches, hospitals, universities and civilians.”

For the second time during the year, Erdogan visited Saudi Arabia on November 11, to attend the extraordinary joint summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League held in Riyadh to discuss the Israeli war on Gaza.

Erdogan said during the summit that “in the Islamic world, we cannot of course leave our Palestinian brothers helpless,” and called for “the establishment of a fund within the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for the reconstruction of Gaza.”

After the re-election of President Erdogan, dozens of state leaders visited Turkey to attend the inauguration ceremony that was held on June 3. The same month also witnessed Erdogan hosting the President of the Emirates, and later he hosted the Ukrainian President, the President of Algeria, and the Palestinian President.

During the year, Erdogan also hosted the President of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Austrian Prime Minister, Karl Nehammer, and met with the Lebanese Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, and other leaders, leaders, and prime ministers.

The post President Erdogan visited 15 countries.. intense diplomacy in 2023 appeared first on Move 2 Turkey.

Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the efforts of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in creating conditions for long-term peace in Gaza.

This came in statements made by Putin during the annual press conference on Thursday, in which he asked him a question in the context of the United Nations’ performance regarding what is happening in the Gaza Strip and whether the organization has lost the essence of its mission in this context.

Putin said: “Erdogan is one of the leaders of the international community who draws attention to the tragedy in Gaza and is doing everything to improve the situation and create conditions for achieving long-term peace.”

He added: “He (Erdogan) is very active in this direction, and this is clear. I hope for his health and well-being from God.”

He pointed out that Russia, like Turkey, supports the implementation of United Nations resolutions regarding the establishment of a Palestinian state.

The Russian President confirmed that he is in constant contact with his Turkish counterpart regarding these issues, and that their positions are “very close.”

He revealed that he had recently been planning to meet his Turkish counterpart and visit Turkey in this context, but Erdogan’s program was not appropriate, according to Putin.

He expressed his hope to meet his Turkish counterpart early next year.

He said: “I planned this recently as well. I was ready to travel to Turkey. But Erdogan’s program was not appropriate. Something like this could happen. We may decide to make this visit at the beginning of next year.”

Putin stressed that his country adopts a position similar to the Turkish position regarding Palestine, and stressed the need to establish “solid” foundations for resolving the Palestinian-Israeli issue.

He stressed that the situation in Gaza amounts to a “disaster,” saying: “What happened is a disaster, and those sitting here (in the hall) and people all over the world see everything. Look at the special military operation in Ukraine and what happened in Gaza and you will feel the difference.”

He said: “There is no such thing (violations) in Ukraine, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations (Antonio Guterres) said that Gaza has become the largest cemetery for children in the world. This assessment tells us a lot, and it is an objective assessment.”

Referring to the role of the United Nations regarding Gaza, Putin pointed out that some countries thwarted some decisions at the United Nations during the war in Gaza.

The Russian President stressed that “there is nothing unusual in the work of the United Nations. This has always been the case, especially during the Cold War.”

He pointed out that the United Nations was established to reach consensus (among countries), and “if consensus is not reached, decisions cannot be made.”

The post Putin praises Erdogan’s efforts to “create peace” in Gaza appeared first on Move 2 Turkey.

The American newspaper “Politico” included Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whom it described as a “mediator”, among “the most powerful figures in Europe 2024.”

The newspaper prepared a list of 28 names from Europe for “Europe’s Most Powerful Personalities 2024” and classified them into 3 separate categories.

The Turkish president ranked fifth in the “Doers” category, and the newspaper described him as a “mediator.”

The newspaper mentioned in a profile of the Turkish president published on its website that he had sought to present himself as a “strong geopolitical leader” for a long time, and had survived a failed coup attempt in 2016.

It reported that Erdogan “recently made the most of the two biggest geopolitical crises, which are the Russian-Ukrainian war and the conflict between Israel and Hamas.”

His role in Ukraine and Gaza

It added: “Erdogan is one of the few people who have connections to the Kremlin and the Ukrainian president’s office at the same time, and he has assumed the mediation role since Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his forces to Ukraine in 2022.”

It also pointed out that the Turkish President led the grain shipping agreement through the Black Sea and strove hard for its continuation.

It noted that after the Hamas attacks on the Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip on October 7, Erdogan again wanted to play the role of “mediation.”

It explained that he held de-escalation talks with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, as well as the leaders of Egypt, Lebanon and Qatar.

Erdogan later sided with Palestine, describing Israel as the “occupier,” and stressing that “the West is the real culprit behind the massacre taking place in Gaza,” according to Politico.

“European officials are discussing ways to enhance cooperation with Erdogan”

The newspaper reported that Erdogan tried to bring himself back into the European Union’s orbit and used Sweden’s membership path in NATO to “depart” from the long-stalled path of Turkey’s membership in the European Union.

It pointed out that European Union membership is not currently being discussed in Turkey, and added: “However, European Union officials are looking for ways to enhance cooperation with Erdogan. This can be considered another geopolitical victory for the Turkish leader.”

In the same category, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni ranked first, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen ranked second, French President Emmanuel Macron ranked third, and the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andriy Yermak, ranked fourth.

Erdogan was followed by European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic, far-right Marine Le Pen, who competed in France’s presidential elections last year, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, and Britain’s main opposition Labor Party leader, Keir Starmer.

The post Erdogan among “Europe’s most powerful figures” in 2024 appeared first on Move 2 Turkey.

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that his country and European countries are interested in the project of establishing an electronic platform for natural gas trade in Turkey.

Putin explained in a press statement on Wednesday that the natural gas center to be established in Turkey has received great interest from Azerbaijan.

He pointed out that it is possible that other countries will join the project as work progresses on it, saying: “Our Turkish friends, we and everyone who wants to obtain Russian resources in Europe are interested in this project.”

He stated that they are continuing to deliver natural gas effectively to Turkey through the “Turkish Torrent” and “Blue Stream” projects, and that the infrastructure can be expanded in the future.

Last September, the idea of the natural gas center project to be established in Turkey was accelerated during the meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in the city of Sochi.

Turkey has an important natural gas infrastructure through the Blue Stream (through the Black Sea), Turkish Stream and TANAP pipelines (to transport Azerbaijani gas to Europe via Anatolia).

The post Putin: Russian and European interest in gas trade in Turkey appeared first on Move 2 Turkey.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Israel had seized some original Palestinian lands using military force.

This came in a speech delivered by Putin on Wednesday during the “Russian Energy Week” forum in the Russian capital, Moscow.

The Russian President added, “The Palestinian issue is in the heart of every person in this region (the Middle East), as well as in the heart of everyone who converts to Islam.”

He pointed out that “Muslims consider the Palestinian crisis – not only now, but for decades – as a manifestation of injustice that has reached an unimaginable degree.”

He stressed that “Israel seized some original Palestinian lands using military force.”

The post Putin: Israel seized original Palestinian lands by military force appeared first on Move 2 Turkey.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that his country wants to revive the grain corridor agreement and will do so on the condition that its agricultural products are allowed to be exported through the Black Sea without obstacles.

This came in a joint press conference on Monday with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, following their meeting in the Russian city of Sochi.

Putin added that Russia had been “deceived by our Western partners,” stressing their readiness “to make efforts to continue the grain corridor agreement if the promises are fulfilled within days.”

He continued: “We want to revive the Grain Corridor Agreement, and we will do so on one condition, which is to allow the export of our agricultural products across the (Black) Sea without obstacles.”

In another context, Putin said about establishing a natural gas center in Turkey that Gazprom presented the road map to the Turkish company Botash, and now it is the turn to establish a joint working group, as he put it.

He stressed that Russia “will always be the largest and most responsible partner alongside Turkey regarding natural gas.”

The post We want to revive the grain agreement, but on one condition appeared first on Move 2 Turkey.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed that the message that will be sent to the world regarding the grain shipping agreement through the Black Sea following his meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, will be very important.

This came in a speech before the start of his meeting with Putin in the Russian city of Sochi on Monday.

Erdogan said in this regard: “After our meeting (with Putin), the message that will be sent to the world, especially African countries, will be very important.”

Erdogan explained that the volume of trade exchange between Turkey and Russia currently amounts to $62 billion, and that it is a pleasure to make progress towards the goal of raising this number to $100 billion.

He added: “The upcoming meeting of the heads of the Turkish and Russian Central Banks is of great importance in terms of moving towards the use of local currencies in commercial exchanges.”

The post We will send a message to the world about the grain agreement appeared first on Move 2 Turkey.

The Turkish Presidency’s Communications Department announced that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will travel to the Russian city of Sochi tomorrow, Monday, at the invitation of his counterpart, Vladimir Putin.

It added in a statement on Sunday that the visit will take only one day.

Erdogan and Putin are scheduled to discuss Turkish-Russian relations, in addition to exchanging views on regional and international files, according to a statement by the Communications Department.

The post Turkish Presidency: Erdogan meets Putin on Monday in Sochi appeared first on Move 2 Turkey.

Ambassador Akif Çağatay Kılıç, senior adviser to the Turkish president, confirmed that Ankara has doubts about the possibility of continuing the grain agreement across the Black Sea without Russia.

This came in an interview on the local “NTV” channel, Monday, in which he indicated that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attaches special importance to the agreement.

He pointed out that the Russian side, despite its withdrawal from the agreement, confirmed that it could continue if certain conditions were met, which it was waiting for, indicating that the Ukrainian side did not show a negative position regarding the continuation of the negotiations.

He stressed that their priority is to continue the current model of the grain corridor, adding, “Currently, we do not think of an alternative or another way, and we have doubts about the possibility of continuing the agreement without Russia. Therefore, our efforts are focused on re-establishing the agreement again.”

He made it clear that Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will pay a visit to Russia, and the grain corridor agreement will be one of the main issues he will discuss.

In response to a question about the existence of clarity regarding a plan to hold a meeting between Presidents Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the short term, Kılıç stressed that the priority is to ensure that Erdogan and Putin meet face to face as soon as possible.

The post We have doubts about the continuation of the grain agreement appeared first on Move 2 Turkey.