Russia to appoint former Istanbul consul as new envoy to Ankara

Russia will appoint its former Istanbul Consul General Aleksei Erkhov as its new ambassador to Ankara, reported Turkish-language daily Aydınlık on April 26.

According to the report, the Kremlin has already approved Erkhov's appointment with the Russian Foreign Ministry expected to make the official announcement in the coming days.

Former Russian Ambassador to Ankara Andrey Karlov was killed on Dec. 19, 2016, in an attack perpetrated by Mert Altıntaş, an off-duty policeman and a suspected member of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), while the victim was attending the opening of an art exhibition in the Turkish capital.

The normalization of relation between Russia and Turkey is expected to gain a new momentum after Erkhov's appointment.

In other developments, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on May 3 in Russia's Sochi.

They are due to discuss the situation on the ground in Syria and improve cooperation efforts to sustain and enhance the cease-fire in Syria as well as other economic and political issues.