Erdogan, Putin meet on sidelines of BRICS summit

By Enes Kaplan and Ilkay Guder

JOHANNESBURG (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Johannesburg, on the sidelines of ongoing BRICS summit.

The two leaders met at 7.55 p.m. Turkish time [0455 GMT].

“Any kind of solidarity with Russia makes someone jealous,” said Erdogan.

They are expected to discuss mainly Syria, and exchange views on the upcoming Tehran summit as part of the Astana process.

Erdogan and Putin have spoken over the phone 16 times this year to discuss regional issues, particularly Syria, and bilateral relations.