Mohamed Ameen Dabhelia – 2016-08-10

Russia and Turkey have moved towards restoring full trade and economic relations.

This follows Russian President Vladimir Putin meeting yesterday with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a time when both countries have strained ties with the West.

Speaking to Radio Islam, Political Scientist Tuba Nur Sönmez says  the relationship between the two countries go as far back as five hundred years and the meeting paves the way for a resumption of Turkish food imports to Russia as well as Russian charter flights to Turkey.

Sönmez says the ‘Syria situation’ remains a major clash between the two countries, however the meeting raises the prospect of cooperation between Moscow and Ankara on the Syrian civil war despite them backing opposing sides.

“We are on an international relations level; we don’t have to always agree on everything, however, what we can agree on is that both countries want peace, stability and territorial integrity for Syria.”

The Turkish president’s visit to Russia is his first foreign trip since a failed military coup in Turkey last month, in which more than 240 people were killed.

 Twitter: @thedabhelia

(Edited By Faizel Patel)