Kremlin: No official meetings or calls between Putin, Erdogan this week UPDATED

Press secretary of the Russian president Dmitry Peskov has confirmed that no official meetings or phone calls have been scheduled this week between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. 

“There are no planned high-level contacts for this week,” Peskov stated, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan may hold a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, later this week, according to a report by Turkish pro-government newspaper Hürriyet, which cites unnamed sources.

Thus, following his recent call with US President Donald Trump, during which they discussed efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine and the possibility of peace talks, Erdoğan is now expected to speak with Putin, the newspaper reports.

Erdoğan spoke with Trump on March 16, with Ankara later stating that the Turkish president had expressed support for Washington’s diplomatic efforts on Ukraine.

The Turkish government is said to be pleased with the outcome of the Erdoğan-Trump talks. Reports in Turkish media previously suggested that Erdoğan might visit the US in April, but Hürriyet notes that this has yet to be confirmed.

To recall, Erdoğan held a significant phone conversation with Trump on March 16, marking their first substantial exchange since Trump began his second term in office. According to Türkiye’s Presidential Communications Directorate, the leaders discussed various topics, including the Russia-Ukraine war, counterterrorism, and defence cooperation.

Erdoğan welcomed Trump’s efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict and reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to a just and lasting peace. He also expressed hope for a solution-oriented and sincere approach in bilateral relations under Trump’s leadership.

Addressing counterterrorism, Erdoğan urged Washington to acknowledge Türkiye’s security concerns, in an implicit reference to U.S. ties with a group threatening Türkiye in Syria. He also highlighted the importance of stabilising Syria, lifting sanctions, and facilitating the return of refugees.

On defence matters, Erdoğan called for the lifting of CAATSA sanctions, the completion of the F-16 fighter jet deal, and Türkiye’s reintegration into the F-35 programme. He stressed that overcoming these issues would strengthen cooperation between the NATO allies.

By Aghakazim Guliyev