Yuri Ushakov, an adviser to the Russian president, announced in February that Vladimir Putin would visit Turkey. This information was reported by RIA Novosti.
According to Ushakov, the subject of the conversation between Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will primarily be a “special military operation”, as Moscow calls for war in Ukraine.
Putin plans to visit Turkey
For months, there has been talk of a possible visit by the Russian president to Turkey. Reuters wrote in June last year that Putin's visit to a NATO member state would be the first since February 24, 2022, when the Russians invaded Ukraine.
In mid-January, the media wrote that officials in Ankara expected the Russian president to visit Turkey on February 12. However, they did not give any details about Putin's visit.
Turkey Towards Russo-Ukrainian War
Turkish President Recep Erdogan has been trying to maintain cordial relations with both Moscow and Kiev since the start of the war. Turkey has refused to join Western allies in imposing economic sanctions on Russia, while also arming Ukraine and calling for it to respect its sovereignty.
Ankara has also helped mediate prisoner exchanges and, with the UN, reached an agreement in July 2022 to enable the safe export of grain from Ukrainian ports through the Black Sea.
The International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March 2023, meaning he could be arrested if he travels abroad. However, Ankara is not a party to the Rome Statute that regulates the ICC's activities, so Putin's potential visit to Turkey would not pose a risk to him.
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