Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan made a high-profile, two-day visit to Russia, sitting directly across from President Vladimir Putin to signal stable bilateral ties amid speculation that Turkey was distancing itself from Moscow.
The visit on June 16-17 marks the first major direct contact following a notable slowdown in high-level diplomacy between Turkey and Russia. It comes precisely three weeks before Turkey hosts a historic NATO summit in Ankara.
Putin offered warm remarks during their meeting in Kazan, emphasizing the growing strength of the relationship. “Our countries' relations have assumed a friendly character and are increasingly filled with new content,” Putin said. “This is largely and primarily due to the stance of President Erdoğan.”
Putin said that the world’s two superpowers, Russia and the US, both value Turkey’s alignment. “Both want to see Turkey by their side,” Putin added. “Both are aware of Erdoğan’s importance for the region and the world.”
'NO CHANGE' IN SPECIAL TIES
In addition to meeting Putin, Fidan held talks in Moscow with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and top defense and intelligence chiefs, including Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu and the heads of the FSB, SVR, and GRU.
Addressing Turkish reporters, Fidan explicitly rejected narratives that Turkey is turning away from Russia to appease Washington.
“In all these meetings, we saw this: there is no problem in working together on bilateral relations and regional issues,” Fidan said. “Both countries want to cooperate in every possible area. There is no change in Turkey-Russia relations.”
Fidan acknowledged the complexities of managing overlapping spheres of influence in Ukraine, the Caucasus, and the Middle East. “We have developed a very special relationship with the Russians,” he added. “Even when we had very serious, problematic areas, we knew how to cooperate and build trust.”
TRUMP FACTOR AT ANKARA SUMMIT
Fidan also linked his diplomatic tour to the upcoming NATO summit in July, revealing that Turkey’s unique position was key to securing US participation. According to Fidan, European leaders credit Erdoğan for ensuring that US President Donald Trump will attend the meetings in Ankara.
“Many European countries say that the fact that the meeting will be held in Turkey, hosted by our President, is the most important factor making it possible for President Trump to attend the summit,” Fidan said. “Without our President, without Turkey, Trump would not have come.”
Fidan expressed confidence that the alliance trusts Turkish leadership to steer the high-stakes talks. “All European leaders rely on this: President Erdoğan and the Turks will manage this process.”
