Russian OSCE delegation to visit Turkey

ANKARA – Doğan News Agency

A delegation from Russia will visit Turkey between March 28 and March 30 as part of an Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) evaluation trip. 

A written statement issued by the Turkish General Staff said the three-member Russian assessment team will be in Turkey from March 28 to March 30, adding the delegation will visit the Marine Amphibian Infantry Brigade Command in the Aegean province of İzmir’s Foça district. 

During the Russian delegation’s visit, a team of three Turkish staff members from the General Staff 1st Intelligence Analysis and Assessment Office’s Arms Control and Verification Branch will accompany them. 

The Russian delegation is scheduled to leave Turkey after finalizing their assessment trip on March 30. 

This visit comes at a time when relations between Turkey and Russia continue to be tense due to Turkey’s downing of a Russian warplane on Nov. 24, 2015, on its border with Syria on grounds of a border violation. 

Responding to a question regarding the Russian delegation’s visit to Turkey, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş said neither Russia nor Turkey would dispense relations with the other.

“Two countries with many years of neighborly relations and competitive but cooperative relations would not end their relations by using a crisis as an excuse,” he said, adding they already knew this from the very beginning. 

“We have done everything to ease the tension. Let the delegation come; let’s see what will be said and what they will do. Then we will talk more clearly,” he said.