Turkey, Russia trust each other on strategic issues: Turkish FM

ANKARA

Turkey and Russia have understood that they feel confident with each other on strategic issues, a top Turkish diplomat has said, adding that both sides kept their words in the implementation of the Aleppo deal that provided a partial ceasefire and evacuation from the city. 

“Russia has kept its word in our efforts to implement a ceasefire, to provide humanitarian aid, to save these people [from Aleppo] and to expand the ceasefire to the whole of Syria. They kept their words until the end. It even urged those who violated [the deal]. Likewise, Turkey has also kept its words,” Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said in a meeting in Antalya on Dec. 25. 

Turkey and Russia have understood that they can trust each other, Çavuşoğlu said, informing that sanctions imposed by Moscow on agricultural products will soon be lifted. 

“We are working day and night for the removal of any kind of obstacle. Our wish is to lift restrictions on trade and travel, in line with our friendship,” he added. 

Çavuşoğlu reiterated that the killing of Russian Ambassador to Ankara Andrey Karlov was planned and executed by the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) and described the assassination as “treachery”. 

Karlov was killed on Dec. 19 by a gunman carrying an official police ID a day before Turkey, Russia and Iran were expected to discuss Syria. The move was interpreted as an attempt to derail Ankara-Moscow ties while leaders of both countries agreed that it was a provocation against bilateral ties. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the killing of Karlov would not affect relations with Ankara in his annual press conference last week.