Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday hailed their three-hour meeting in Sochi to discuss the Syrian conflict, describing the exchange as “useful” and “productive.”
It was the two leaders’ first face-to-face talks in 18 months. The Russian leader hosted Erdoğan at his Black Sea residence in the resort of Sochi after two weeks in self-isolation following a coronavirus outbreak among his aides.
The two men, who did not address reporters after the talks, had been expected to discuss northwestern Syria where Assad regime troops and Moscow have ratcheted up airstrikes in recent weeks.
In a warm post-negotiation exchange, that included a discussion of their coronavirus antibody levels, Putin thanked Erdoğan, calling the visit “useful and informative.”
“We will be in touch,” he added.
Writing on Twitter, Erdoğan called the talks “productive.”
Russia and Turkey have historically had complex relations, balancing regional rivalries with finding common ground on economic and strategic interests.
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