Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, on July 3.
“We couldn’t meet with my dear friend for a long time,” Erdogan told Putin, reaffirming their goal to boost bilateral trade to $100 billion. Putin acknowledged the continuous cooperation between their countries, emphasizing the regular exchange of information and coordination on key international policy areas.
The meeting, which lasted an hour, covered several significant topics:
- Israel’s War in Gaza: Both leaders discussed the ongoing conflict, with Erdogan expressing concern over the humanitarian crisis.
- Ukraine Conflict: Erdogan reiterated his offer to mediate an end to the war in Ukraine.
- Syria-Turkey Reconciliation: The discussion included efforts to restore relations between Syria and Turkey, with Erdogan stressing the importance of stability to counter terrorism. Turkey expressed readiness to cooperate for a solution in Syria.
Erdogan’s meeting with Putin took place just a week before his scheduled trip to the NATO summit in Washington. Last month, Erdogan mentioned the possibility of meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to help restore relations, which were severed in 2011. However, Assad's government insists that Turkey must withdraw its forces from Syrian territory before any reconciliation can occur.
The potential rapprochement between Syria and Turkey has sparked protests in Syria’s Idlib governorate, controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and caused anxiety among US-backed forces in northeast Syria.
This meeting underscores the complex geopolitical landscape and the ongoing efforts by regional powers to navigate conflicts and foster stability.
