Kremlin confirms Putin, Erdogan may meet before G20

By Emre Gurkan Abay

MOSCOW (AA) - The Kremlin confirmed Friday that President Vladimir Putin could meet his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the run-up to September’s G20 summit.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a time and place were yet to be fixed but told reporters in a telephone conference call: “In accordance with our president’s instructions we are starting talks with our Turkish colleagues.”

He said a “month or more of rather intense contacts” was expected to negotiate resumed economic ties.

On Wednesday, the two leaders spoke to each other for the first time since last November, when Turkey shot down a Russian warplane over the Syrian border as it violated Turkish airspace.

The incident led the imposition of sanctions on Turkish products, a ban on tourist flights to Turkey and the end of visa-free travel between the two nations. The rapprochement is likely to see these conditions gradually lifted.

Following the phone call, Erdogan said he could meet Putin ahead of the G20 in China. He described the conversation with Putin as “beneficial for both countries”.

On Friday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusolgu met Sergey Lavrov in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.