Ankara claims Putin will visit Turkey

The Turkish President’s Administration on Wednesday claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin would visit Ankara, without naming a concrete date, following a phone conversation between Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Putin earlier during the day.  

 

Erdoğan’s office said that steps should not be taken to further escalate the tension in the Russia-Ukraine war and that the Turkish President highlighted the Black Sea initiative, which he called the Bridge of Peace. 

 

Erdoğan was also cited as saying that Russia’s move to withdraw from the grain agreement would bring benefits to “no one”, particularly to poor countries. 

 

The Kremlin also reported on the conversation, although its official message did not mention that an agreement was reached on Putin’s visit. 

 

Moscow claimed the parties agreed to “continue contacts at various levels, including in the context of preparing for a possible meeting”.

 

Putin reiterated the grain deal had lost its meaning because there was no progress in the implementation of the memorandum related to Russia, Moscow said, adding he was ready to join the agreement once the West met Russia’s demands.