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THE LEADERS OF Russia and Turkey have buried the hatchet, pledging to restore the ‘Moscow-Ankara axis’ after almost a year of cool relations that at one point threatened war.
Russian president Vladimir Putin said Russian trade sanctions on Turkey would be phased out “step by step”.
“The priority is to get back to the pre-crisis level of co-operation,” he told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a summit in St Petersburg.
Their relations cooled sharply last November, when Turkey shot down a Russian bomber on the Syrian border. It is Erdogan’s first foreign visit since an attempted coup last month.
He has since launched a far-reaching crackdown on the armed forces and other state institutions, and cast a shadow and over Turkey’s relations with its western Nato allies.
Psychologically important
Speaking in St Petersburg, Erdogan thanked Mr Putin, saying a call from the Russian leader after the coup “meant a lot psychologically”.
He said “the Moscow-Ankara friendship axis will be restored”.
After Turkey shot down the Su-24 jet in November, Russia imposed trade sanctions and suspended Russian package tours to Turkey.
Russia has now decided to resume those package tours, which represent an important source of income for Turkey’s tourist industry.
Complicated moment
At a press conference after the encounter, Putin said:
We lived through a very complicated moment in the relations between our states and we very much want, and I feel our Turkish friends want, to overcome the difficulties.
The authoritarian Russian leader insisted it would take “painstaking work” and “some time” to return to previous trade links. In a statement, he said:
I know I was one of the first to call you and give support about overcoming the internal political crisis caused by the attempted coup.
“I would like to repeat: it is our position of principle that we always stand up against any attempts to revert to unconstitutional actions.”
Both sides said they wanted to restart major energy projects hit by the crisis.
Erdogan said that he hoped Russian-Turkish relations would become “more robust” and stressed how important it was that Putin offered his support after the coup.
We will bring our relations back to the old level and even beyond, both sides are determined and have the necessary will.
The shooting down of a Russian fighter jet by a Turkish F-16 over the Syrian border last fall saw a furious war of words between the mercurial leaders, that seemed to irrevocably damage burgeoning ties between the nations.
Moscow and Ankara were hurling unbridled insults at each other as recently as May.
Russia’s state-run television network attacked Mr. Erdogan as “deceitful” and “unrestrained” – while the Turkish leader accused Russia of engaging in “cheap slander.”
Yet the Kremlin never misses a chance to try to exploit the disagreements in the NATO alliance brought about by the US response to Turkey’s failed coup.
In a shock reversal late June, Putin accepted a letter expressing regret over the incident from Erdogan as an apology, and signalled Moscow would end measures against Turkish food imports and construction firms.
There are fears in Western capitals that NATO-member Turkey could draw even closer to Moscow in the wake of the failed 15 July coup attempt.
Erdogan bluntly makes it clear he feels let down by the EU and the United States, whom many in the Turkish administration blame for the coup.
Putin was one of the first foreign leaders to phone Erdogan offering support after the coup attempt and shares none of the scruples of EU leaders about the ensuing crackdown.
Back to business?
Relations between Turkey and Russia – two powers vying for influence in the strategic Black Sea region and Middle East – have rarely been straightforward.
Before the plane downing crisis, Moscow and Ankara managed to prevent disputes on Syria and Ukraine harming strategic cooperation on issues like the TurkStream gas pipeline to Europe and a Russian-built nuclear power station in Turkey.
Those projects were all put on ice with trade between the two countries falling 43% in January-May this year to $6.1 billion and Turkey’s tourism industry seeing visitor numbers from Russia fall by 93%.
Now with Russia mired in an economic crisis due to Western sanctions over Ukraine and low oil prices along with Turkey’s outlook flagging, both men want to get business started again.
Erdogan said that he now wanted to see the TurkStream project “done as fast as possible”, while Putin said construction could start “in the nearest future”.
The Turkish leader also insisted that the two sides were once again targeting a very ambitious trade turnover of $100 billion by 2024.
Skirting Syria
The earlier uptick in relations between Turkey and Russia was built on a macho friendship between Putin and Erdogan, two combative leaders in their early 60s credited with restoring confidence to their nations in the wake of financial crises but also criticised for clamping down on human rights.
But after such a bitter dispute – which saw Putin accuse Erdogan of stabbing Russia in the back and profiting from an illegal oil trade with the Islamic State group – it will take a lot for the pair to reheat relations.
The two strongmen leaders conspicuously skirted one major issue dividing them and that lay at the heart of their falling out – the war in Syria.
Putin and Erdogan said they would start discussing the conflict after the press conference, but the Russian leader insisted both sides were committed to finding a peaceful solution.
Russia is flying a bombing campaign in support of President Bashar al-Assad while Turkey is fiercely opposed to the Syrian leader.
Erdogan insisted in an interview with Russian media ahead of the talks that Assad must still go – a position opposed by Putin – but said that the conflict could now become the focus for renewed cooperation between the two sides.
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Is it just me who can’t warm to Pat Kenny and his giant ego? He comes across as someone who is arrogant and full off themselves
According to Pat Kenny himself he is incredibly intelligent and incisive as well as a great entertainer. Pat Kenny greatly admires his on talents. He suffers from a terrible worry that not enough people have enough access to his genius.
Pat kenny is good..his problem is Sean o Rourke is just as good.
Fiona…the Late Late Show was on life support while he ran the show….he’s just not cut for light entertainment….or any kind of entertainment for that matter.
That’s like walking into a morgue looking at the bodies on the slab and asking which one is the livliest
Jenni. Sean O’ Rourke is better by a mile.
Pat Kenny is grand doing serious interview and political sort of stuff. When it comes to light entertainment he’s so retentive that not even a team of the world’s best proctologists could help him out.
Remember his cringe inducing interview where he insulted Dawn French in front of her husband Lennie Henry.
We heard enough about Slab today!
When Pat said to Gay Byrne “Bikers like you and me Gay” When Pat rode a C2 scooter 125cc and Gay rode a Harley Davidson Sportster badly, that said it all for me !
Humility is lacking .
Why not just ask what brand of cranberry says will your neighbour buy this Christmas? It would warrant justcas much care and consideration.
I think Pat went to the school of arrogant and full of themselves with Gaybo the headmaster!
he helped SF/IRA attack a presidential candidate ffs
Whats in it for me ?
Pat Kenny is not working in RTE? When did this happen? Why did the Journal not cover the story? I feel so left out of really important news!
The only thing running through kenny head is “show me the money!!!!!”
Alan. Gave me a good giggle
Delighted for ya shawn :)
Please God no…
UTV-flop
Newstalk-flop
Fallback to RTE and a nice fat paycheck from the taxpayer.
Why don’t RTE hire 4 other presenters that would probably be just as good and have them on a range of programmes and give the viewer some variety rather than the same overpaid “stars” who do virtually all of the big programmes? Ray D’Arcy is actually worse than Brendan O’Connor and I never thought that was going to be possible. There is something wrong with a TV and Radio station when the main stars have been holding the prime time spots for longer than most people who are alive in their 40′s.
It’s no surprise that the Late Late and Buzzkill are a disaster…
Wouldn’t you think that somebody could legitimately spend the week preparing for them?
But no, we must have celebrity cross promotion..
Of all the interesting and Seasonal articles to choose from on a Sunday before Christmas, you chose the one about Pat Kenny possibly returning to Rte? Disappointing journalism Nicky!
who gives a shite?
Who killed Kenny, B**tards!
I’m not paying for that!
If the price.is right… he’ll do anything for a big fat check…
Cheque, for Jesus sake. Can anyone spell properly on this fcuking site?
That especially for monty…see you can’t spell also…..
That especially for…? You’re hurting my brain.
Hope to fk not. We already have Pat in drag in the Miriam show. Don’t make him take the dress off again. RTE and Pat Kenny, 2 planks that we unfortunately have to pay for through our licence.
” I want loadsa money”
Has not been missed on RTE, nobody turned the dial for him. Perhaps the penny is finally starting to drop that he isn’t particularly liked?
Of course he will, he’s a hoor.
It’s impossible to burn bridges in RTE. They all come back in the end.
RTE the cosy club. Once yer in yer in ain’t that right George Lee. The Order of the Knights of RTE
Lost all credibility when he had Bertie ahern on he’s show a few times, and hadn’t the balls to ask him about bankrupting the country!
As soon as the broadcasting charge is introduced and everyone in the country is forced to hand over 160 quid a year to Montrose, RTE will be only too happy to throw our hard earned money at these talantless so-called celebrities like Kenny
Bring back Tom Dunne to that slot I say. PK is very wooden
The wodden robot.
Tom Dunne was great, it took a while but he got there. His even show is excellent.
He is so far up his own backside. unbelievable.
Denise..Anton is the man..and he plays good music
Never listened to him on RTE
Never listened to him on NewsTalk
Won’t listen to him on RTE again
Wait … Did Pat Kenny move to Newstalk?!
Ends Kenny as Taoiseach again, Pat Kenny as Government spokesman on RTE, homelessness gets worse, delays in the health system get worse, the poor get poorer and Ireland continues to do the same things over and over again expecting different results.
Ever notice when there’s a scientist or some such other obscure specialist subject individual on the show Pat turns the interview into a platform for his knowledge on the subject and hen there’s an stiff upper lip British accent e.g. Pat ends up sounding like he’s from the House of Lords.
I notice this anyway don’t know about the rest of ye.
Indeed Tommy
Indeed Tommy…he has that art of reading cue cards down to a tee.
I hear yea there Tommy.
Pat Kenny is dead to me.
Pat the plank. No personality,no talent. Dry as a nun.
Who cares? ….overindulged prat
Who gives a f..k pat kenny made his money off rte and the hard pressed tv licence payers for rubbish programme and repeats over the years utv Ireland just copped on that his show in the round just didn’t cut it with its viewers having said that his better off where he is on news talk which I think he dose a good job and we tv licence payers are not paying him stick with d radio pat
There’s a lot in that Liam.
The guys in UTV, who hired Kenny and thought he’d benefit the station? Should be fired, or just shot!
Stephen…which just goes to show Kenny is no crowd puller and without the licence fee even RTE would go broke like UTVI having to pay lavish wages for what turned out to be a ‘clanger’.
If RTE ran like a pure private station you’d see the dead wood being cut so fast there’d be saw dust everywhere….but as they milk at the teat of the taxpayer, there’s no need to think very hard about choices.
He’s past his sell by date. He thinks he’s Gay Byrne, another ‘hanger on’
In leaving Montrose Pat was introduced to the 19th,20th and 21st centuries so why go back to the dark ages.
Who cares!!!
ive noticed every presenter on newstalk are exact clones ..from chris in the morning all through the day they all sing the same exact song…its weird..
Any chance he’d just Fook off, leave us alone and do humanity a service. No wonder, half the country is depressed and I blame RTE for all these shysters they produce!
Oh, Jesus Christ, give me patience.
I think he’s very good on the he radio but he doesn’t come across well on tv
RTE – The great retirement home for the RTE broadcasters. All coming back to suck out of the National broadcaster sow. Gaybo, Murphy, Bowman, Kenny, Gogan, Balfe, Whelan, and 100′s of others. This is not taking from their talent, but really they should move on to the green pastures of retirement or take up some voluntary work somewhere instead of trying to enhance their bank balance.
Leave room for some new exciting talent.
I found myself listening to Pat on Newstalk last week doing a spot on “A day in the life of a Priest”. At the end he asked the nice young lady producer if ever the day should come is it the type of job she’d like doing herself, chuckle. “Well you never know, I do look good in black and white” to which Pat chuckled again and then reminded her more seriously “Well that will never happen”
Were there not a few bridges burnt there..??
And will Garth play Crime park. Less grave digging in Glasnevin
*Croke
Hope not.
Please God and the TV license holders. Noooooooooooo!
Thoroughly enjoy Sean O Rourke on RTE Radio 1. Wouldn’t miss the programme.
Apparently he tried, he thought on rte he was rte. But time has proven his rte team were the business. On news talk he hasn’t pulled the listeners.
On rte he was the best, now I only give him 50% at the most of my time
The real question is – would Newstalk role out Gay Byrne specials and keep Gay going for 10 years past his sell by date?
I think like George Lee know which station is best to retire to.
Pure clickbait.
Communicorp…sic
Who cares if he returns ? If he does he should nit be given a €300K + contract.
He’s a spud
Wowwwwwwwww !
I think he’s quite good on Newstalk…
Who needs Arnie. When you have Pat…I`ll be back!! I need your clothes… your Boots…and your TV Licence Fee!!
That clip of him in his younger days reminded me of Patrick bateman
Yes… that Eurovision clip? Personally I can`t help being reminded of some sleazy Douchebag from a Steven Seagal Flic!!
The clip of him tearing up the toy show tickets. Best hissy fit ever !
The only ones that are any good at newstalk is ivan yates.. hook… off the ball and Tom dunne pats show anybody could do it. That fela on launch time is a joke he doesn’t have any balls. Better entertainment looking into a mixer full of cement.
Pat “paint drying” Kenny.
I pity the lifelong RTE view and listener – CHANGE THE FECKIN CHANNEL/STATION!
Why does my tax money go to pay for an orchestra that is off the radar, a twice day ‘call to prayer’, and endless repeats and stagnant programming? Fed up with the TV licence and what little I get in return!
Just disappear pat .., thanks
Who cares…….?
Gus Sheridan: My sentiments exactly. Who cares. At least my tv licence tax isn’t going into his pockets now.
After 3 days lol.
Leave him where ever he is ,
Then do us all a favour Damian, and dont think! :-)
Cogito ergo sum ;-)
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