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Putin praises Erdogan’s ‘great political authority’
MOSCOW, June 25, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Russian strongman Vladimir Putin on
Monday congratulated Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his re-
election triumph in a phone call, after saying the result showed the Turkish
leader’s “great political authority” and mass support.
On the call Putin and Erdogan confirmed their interest in “deepening
partnership ties between the two countries”, the Kremlin said, singling out
priority projects such as the TurkStream gas pipeline and Turkey’s first
nuclear power plant being built by Moscow.
In a telegram earlier Monday, Putin had “stressed that the results of the
vote fully speak of Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s great political authority (and)
mass support of the course conducted under his leadership to solve Turkey’s
pressing social and economic tasks (and) strengthen the country’s position in
the international arena.”
Erdogan — who has dominated Turkey’s politics for the last decade and a
half — on Monday won five more years in office with sweeping new powers
after a decisive election victory while the opposition raised questions over
the conduct of the polls.
Putin stressed his readiness to continue “close joint work” and dialogue
with Erdogan, whose ruling party-led alliance also won an overall majority in
parliament, the Kremlin said.
“This is certainly in the interests of the peoples of Russia and Turkey,”
the Kremlin said in a statement, praising the “partner-like ties” between the
two nations.
Putin himself extended his almost two-decade-long rule by winning a fourth
Kremlin term in March at a time of high tension with the West.
Putin and Erdogan — who have both led their post-imperial states out of
economic crisis but also into a new era of confrontation with the West —
have forged an increasingly close alliance in recent months.
In a sign of the importance of the partnership, Putin went to Turkey during
his first trip abroad after winning a historic fourth presidential mandate in
March 18 polls.
Turkey and Russia are on opposite sides in Syria, with Moscow remaining the
chief ally of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and Ankara backing rebels
seeking his ouster.
However, they have worked closely in recent months despite their
differences to try to achieve a political solution in Syria.
Ankara-Moscow relations were tested by a severe crisis in November 2015
when Turkey shot down a Russian war plane over Syria, a confrontation both
sides have since tried to put behind them.
BSS/AFP/RY/1935 hrs