UPDATE - Turkey, Russia cooperation boosting, says Erdogan

UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS FROM TURKISH PRESIDENT; EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Sena Guler and Faruk Zorlu

ANKARA (AA) - Cooperation between Turkey and Russia continues increasingly, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday.

“Our cooperation with Russia continues increasingly and becomes stronger [day by day],” Erdogan told reporters ahead of his departure from Istanbul for Moscow.

The meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will be the third face-to-face meeting of 2019, Erdogan stated.

Two leaders will discuss bilateral relations as well as regional and global developments, Turkish leader said.

Erdogan will attend the eighth High-Level Cooperation Council meeting between the two countries. The meeting is being held annually since 2010.

The visa-free travel between Turkey and Russia is also an agenda item, Erdogan said.

From trade and tourism to energy and culture, Turkey and Russia are experiencing improvement in the bilateral relations, Erdogan said.

“Our trade volume has reached to $26 billion last year with a 15% increase annually.”

Expressing belief in having more potential cooperation with Russia, Erdogan said economic relations will be discussed during the meeting, as well.

- 2019 Turkish-Russian Culture and Tourism Year

During his visit to Russia, Erdogan and Putin will attend an opera titled Troy, based on the Greek epic, in the opening ceremony of mutual culture year.

The opera will be performed by Turkish singers at Russia's Bolshoi Theatre.

The 2019 was announced a cross-year of Turkish- Russian culture in the two countries.

Also underlining importance of maintaining the cultural and art activities mutually throughout the year, Erdogan said: “I believe that the eighth meeting of High Level Cooperation Council will pave the way for new horizons [to reach] on bilateral relations.”