Turkey’s Erdogan sits down with Russia’s Putin for talks

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pressed the United States to extradite the man he claims was behind the failed insurrection, and has sought more funds and visa-free travel from the European Union, but it’s unclear what leverage improved ties with Russian Federation could give him.

Foreign ministers Mevlut Cavusoglu (Turkey) and Sergey Lavrov (Russia) too are present at the meeting.

While it remains to be seen what common ground the leaders will find on topics including clashing military operations in Syria, the drop in tourism traffic to Turkey and the faltering construction of Russia’s Turkish Stream pipeline and Russian-backed Turkish nuclear plant, at least rhetorically the Russo-Turkish bromance is back on.

Turkey and Russia, which once described each other as strategic partners, have suffered disagreements, especially over their respective policies in the Syrian war, culminating in the infamous downing of a Russian fighter jet near the Syrian-Turkish border in late 2015.

“We lived through a very complicated moment in the relations between our states and we very much want, and I feel our Turkish friends want, to overcome the difficulties”, Putin told journalists at a joint press conference.

The visit to Russian Federation is Erdogan’s first foreign trip since the failed coup against him in July, which sparked a purge of political opponents and cast a shadow over Turkey’s relations with the West.

“We do not get any support from Europe”. For its part the German government considers the rapprochement between Turkey and Russian Federation, considering it to be also in the interests of Europe.

“Putin has an interest in buttering up a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation member which is practically now at odds with the the EU”, Hanson said. In June, Mr Erdogan personally apologised to Mr Putin and since then the relationship has largely gone back on track despite clear differences over the Syrian civil war.

Analysts say that Erdogan may now be hoping to play the Russian card to strengthen his hand in disputes with the United States and European Union.

Sunday’s rally in support of democracy showed that the Turkish people are against any attempts of coups d’etat, he added. Russian officials went further, accusing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s family members of involvement in oil dealing with ISIS – allegations Erdogan strenuously denied. -Turkish ties, with some Turkish officials implying the US could have been behind the coup.

Both Turkish President Erdogan and Russian President Putin are looking for a diplomatic victory from this meeting. He didn’t touch on Ankara’s demand for Gulen’s extradition.

The failed coup saw renegade Turkish military officers using jets, helicopters and tanks try to take power in a night of violence that left more than 270 people dead.

Missing some content? Care to comment? For his part, Erdogan has threatened to suspend application of an EU-Turkey deal on migrants aiming to reduce the flow of refugees and asylum seekers through Turkey into Europe. Mr Erdogan has accused Russian Federation of arming the PKK.

And demands by Turkish leaders for the extradition of a cleric living in Pennsylvania have met with resistance in the US government, where officials say they see no proof that the man, Fethullah Gulen, 75, bore any responsibility for the coup attempt as Turkey alleges.