The director general of the Institute for Foreign Policy Studies and Initiatives, an advisor to the Director General of the MIA ‘Russia Today’, Veronika Krasheninnikova, speaking to Vestnik Kavkaza, commented on the meeting of the Russian and Turkish presidents, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on the sidelines of the World Energy Congress in Istanbul. According to her, the meeting showed that today Ankara adequately assesses the need for closer economic and political contacts with Moscow.
"The fact that the Russian and Turkish presidents spent almost a whole day together shows that both sides are making active efforts to restore relations. These relations are a vivid contrast in comparison with the failure after November 25th, 2015, when the Russian plane was shot down. Apparently, the Turkish authorities have realized how important the relations with Russia are in both political and economic terms, as well as on other levels," she stressed.
This is especially true of the Turkish approach to a settlement of the Syrian crisis. "The most interesting response, which we expect is Turkey's position on the Syrian crisis. The change in the position is part of the relations improvement process between Moscow and Ankara. As a minimum, the Turkish leadership should cease ‘pouring gasoline on the fire’ of this conflict, that is, supplying arms and ammunition to militants and buying their oil. We also expect that Ankara will create a buffer zone in northern Syria, which is assumed by the existing agreements. Turkey's policy towards Syria will be a litmus test to verify the honesty and sincerity of the Turkish rapprochement with Russia," Veronica Krasheninnikova noticed.
According to her, today Erdogan is quite ready to take such steps. "It really can be expected, since it is time to find a solution to the Syrian conflict and stop military operations. Turkey has a significant influence on the situation, and we understand that if it stops the supply of arms and ammunition to the militants, the conflict will end rather quickly," the expert pointed out.
Speaking about Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev who was always seen at the forum together with Putin and Erdogan, Veronika Krasheninnikova noted that the Azerbaijani leadership has made every possible effort to ensure that the relations between Russia and Turkey have been restored. "Ilham Aliyev has played an intermediary role in this process, and it is likely that the President of Azerbaijan continues to be a mediator between the leaders of the two countries, as well as participate in regional processes," the director general of the Institute for Foreign Policy Studies and Initiatives, an advisor to the Director General of the MIA ‘Russia Today’ said.
