PM Yıldırım: Russian talks to focus on solving Syrian crisis
As the normalization process between Turkey and Russia continues, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım's arrival in Moscow will mark the first prime ministerial visit to the country since relations with the Kremlin were suspended for nine months after the downing of a Russian fighter jet on Nov. 24, 2015. The visit will include meetings between Yıldırım and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev, along with an appearance from President Vladimir Putin. A wide range of topics, including economic cooperation, joint-energy projects and visa-free travel, will be discussed, while military cooperation and the sharing of intelligence in Syria is expected to top the agenda. The Turkish prime minister will meet with Russian lawmakers Dec. 5-7.
The visit to Moscow is considered crucial to the normalization of relations between Russia and Turkey. Prime Minister Yıldırım will visit Moscow with a large delegation, consisting of ministers and prominent businesspeople, and will prioritize regional-political developments and subjects related to bilateral relations in his meetings. Yıldırım will be conveying messages from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan about the Syrian crisis in general, particularly the situation of Aleppo to President Putin in person. The measures to be taken for the humanitarian crisis in Aleppo is expected to be discussed, along with military coordination and sharing of intelligence between the two countries, which is crucial for Turkey's ongoing Operation Euphrates Shield in Syria. Moreover, improvement of cooperation will also be discussed in order to prevent future accidents, like of which led to the crisis between the two countries last year. On the other hand, visa-free travel will also be discussed between the parties to further accelerate the normalization process.
Yıldırım will continue his visit by meeting with the Chairman of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko and will also give a speech at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), an institution run by the Russian Federation's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Yıldırım is also expected to visit the Republic of Tatarstan to hold a meeting with President Rustam Minnihanov, which will be followed by his address at the Turkish-Tatar Business Forum.
The visit to Moscow is considered crucial to the normalization of relations between Russia and Turkey. Prime Minister Yıldırım will visit Moscow with a large delegation, consisting of ministers and prominent businesspeople, and will prioritize regional-political developments and subjects related to bilateral relations in his meetings. Yıldırım will be conveying messages from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan about the Syrian crisis in general, particularly the situation of Aleppo to President Putin in person. The measures to be taken for the humanitarian crisis in Aleppo is expected to be discussed, along with military coordination and sharing of intelligence between the two countries, which is crucial for Turkey's ongoing Operation Euphrates Shield in Syria. Moreover, improvement of cooperation will also be discussed in order to prevent future accidents, like of which led to the crisis between the two countries last year. On the other hand, visa-free travel will also be discussed between the parties to further accelerate the normalization process.
Yıldırım will continue his visit by meeting with the Chairman of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko and will also give a speech at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), an institution run by the Russian Federation's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Yıldırım is also expected to visit the Republic of Tatarstan to hold a meeting with President Rustam Minnihanov, which will be followed by his address at the Turkish-Tatar Business Forum.