Russia wants Turkey relations 'to be normalized'

By Hakan Ceyhan Aydogan

MOSCOW (AA) – Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that Russia wants to normalize relations with Turkey.

Answering journalists’ questions in Moscow, Peskov said: "We want relations to be normalized and we want to return to the cooperation process…”

Peskov stated that Moscow was sorry about the breakdown of relationships between Turkey and Russia.

"Moscow values the time when relations with Turkey were high", he added.

Recently, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated Putin on Russia Day, a June 12 national holiday.

In the message sent on Sunday, Erdogan wished for Turkish-Russian relations to “rise to the level they deserve” in the future.

Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said on Tuesday that Erdogan’s congratulatory message to Russia could be a step towards normalizing relations.

However, the deputy prime minister said Erdogan’s remarks did not mean Ankara and Moscow agreed on all political issues or would solve all regional problems.

"Our opinion differs on many issues, including Syria... But the bottom line is that it is essential to maintain peace between the two neighboring countries.

"I hope that a similar signal will come from the Russian side. Russia has already revealed attitudes of this kind," Kurtulmus added.

Diplomatic relations between the countries soured after a Russian SU-24 violated Turkish airspace, was intercepted and shot down Nov. 24 by Turkish F-16 fighters.

The Kremlin ordered sanctions on food products, an end to visa-free travel and a boycott of Turkey by Russian tourists.

*Anadolu Agency correspondent Can Erozden contributed to this report from Ankara.