Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Friday in Sochi, Russia. They want to talk about their war plans: in addition to the invasion of Ukraine, Turkish plans for a new offensive in northern Syria should also be discussed. According to the Kremlin, a possible sale of Turkish combat drones is also on the agenda. At the beginning of the visit, Putin thanked Erdogan for finalizing the agreement on Ukrainian grain supplies.
Erdogan has promoted the resumption of Ukrainian grain deliveries from the ports on the Black Sea, Putin said in a statement with his counterpart in Sochi ahead of the personal talks. A press conference after the meeting is not planned for the time being, according to both parties.
The two have opposing interests when it comes to the war in Syria. Turkey already occupies areas in northern Syria and justifies a renewed offensive with a “terrorist threat” from the Syrian-Kurdish militia YPG, which sees Ankara as a terrorist organization. Both Russia and Iran, both actors in the Syrian civil war, had discouraged Turkey from making further military advances.
Kremlin warns of offensive
On Friday, the Kremlin again warned Turkey that a new military offensive could destabilize Syria. “Turkey has legitimate interests for security reasons, which we obviously take into account,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday. However, it is “very important not to allow any measures that could lead to a destabilization of the situation in Syria or endanger the territorial and political integrity of Syria”.
According to the Russian government, military-technical cooperation will also be discussed in Sochi. Russia had recently expressed interest in the Turkish combat drone Bayraktar TB2, which was also successfully used by Kiev in the war in Ukraine. CNN quoted Turk Erdogan as saying Putin had suggested working with Turkey on the Baykar drones. A corresponding factory could be established in the United Arab Emirates.
Erdogan open to arms deals
Possible sales of combat drones by NATO member Turkey are also on the agenda, according to the Kremlin. Turkish sources do not confirm this for the time being. Shortly after the start of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, Erdogan said he would not rule out arms deals with Russia.
Erdogan’s son-in-law Selcuk Bayraktar is the technical director (CTO) of the drone manufacturer founded by his father Özdemir Bayraktar. His brother Haluk Bayraktar, CEO of Baykar, is an avowed supporter of Ukraine, rejecting the sale of Bayraktar drones to Russia in a July CNN interview.
Turkey maintains close ties with both Ukraine and Russia and sees itself as a mediator between the two sides. Mediated by the United Nations and Turkey, both warring sides recently agreed to resume grain exports from three blocked Ukrainian ports.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
