Putin congratulates Erdoğan on birthday, hails contribution to ties

President Vladimir Putin held a phone call with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan yesterday, on the occasion of the latter’s birthday. Turkish officials said the two leaders also discussed ties and Putin thanked Erdoğan for his contribution to advancing Turkish-Russian relations on a friendly level.

The Russian leader is expected to visit Türkiye this spring, though the exact date or month is unclear now after he postponed earlier visits. Russia yesterday said Putin’s visit to Türkiye is not on schedule before the forthcoming presidential election.

“The schedule before the elections is still quite tight ... But preparations for contacts at the highest level are underway, we have stated this repeatedly. These contacts will take place, but at a time when it best suits the schedules of the two presidents,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told a press briefing in Moscow. Russia will hold a presidential election on March 15-17, the first three-day presidential vote in the country’s history. Putin is seeking a fifth term.

Ankara has sought to persuade Russia to return to the Black Sea Grain Initiative – brokered by Türkiye and the United Nations – that ensured the safe export of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea during the war. Russia withdrew from the accord in July 2023 and has said it was not interested in reviving it.

NATO member Türkiye shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea and has aimed to maintain good ties with both amid the war. It has voiced support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity while opposing the sanctions on Russia. Erdoğan and Putin last met in the Russian city of Sochi in September.