Putin wishes ‘dear friend’ Erdogan happy birthday
Russian President Vladimir Putin has greeted his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on the occasion of his 70th birthday, praising his contributions to bilateral relations.
In a statement on Monday, the Kremlin said that Putin wished the Turkish leader a happy birthday over the phone and extended his warmest wishes. The Kremlin also released a telegram on the occasion.
“Esteemed Mr. President [and] dear friend. Please accept my warmest wishes on the occasion of your 70th birthday. You enjoy high prestige both among your compatriots and abroad as an experienced and visionary politician who has done much for the socio-economic development of Türkiye and the protection of its interests on the world stage,” the letter said.
The Russian leader also noted that “it is difficult to overestimate” Erdogan’s contribution to promoting friendly and mutually beneficial relations between Moscow and Ankara. Putin stressed that Russia will maintain constructive dialogue with Türkiye and work together on bilateral and international issues.
Putin and Erdogan have for years enjoyed close personal ties, which has become evident during the Ukraine conflict. Türkiye hosted one of the rounds of talks between Moscow and Kiev to end the conflict in spring 2022. According to Moscow, the sides were close to signing an agreement, but the talks were sabotaged by then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who advised Kiev to keep fighting.
Ankara also played a major role in brokering prisoner swaps between Russia and Ukraine, and has been a key energy partner.
In May 2023, the Turkish leader claimed to have a “special relationship” with Putin. He stated that “Russia and Türkiye need each other in every field possible,” adding that “we are not at a point where we would impose sanctions on Russia [over the Ukraine conflict] like the West has done.”
In recent weeks, numerous media reports have indicated that Putin may travel to Türkiye to meet with Erdogan in early 2024. Yury Ushakov, a senior foreign policy aide to Putin, has confirmed that the visit is being actively prepared, and that the two leaders intend to discuss the Ukraine crisis, but noted that the exact date has not yet been determined.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Putin does not plan to meet with Erdogan until after the Russian presidential election, which will take place in mid-March, explaining that the Russian leader has an extremely busy schedule.
