Putin and Erdogan meet in Sochi, but won’t discuss Crimea

Presidents of Russia and Turkey, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, will not discuss the topic of Crimea at their talks in Sochi, Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the Russian presdient, told reporters on Wednesday.

“No, this topic is usually not discussed. In terms of Crimea, there is nothing to discuss with the Turkish side, let alone the fact that the president has repeatedly invited Mr. Erdogan to come to Crimea just to see what is really happening there,” Peskov said, answering a question of whether the Russian side was going to raise the issue of Crimea’s recognition by Turkey.

The Kremlin spokesman specified that “the first exchange of phrases between the two presidents, their greetings” will be open to the press. The negotiations are scheduled to start after 13:00 Moscow time. No press statements are to be announced afterwards, Peskov added. 

He assured that the epidemiological safety was “properly ensured”, but did not answer the question whether the Turkish president was vaccinated. 

“I can not talk about the President of the Turkish Republic. It would be incorrect on my part,” Peskov said.

Putin-Erdogan face-to-face negotiations

According to Peskov, the talks between Putin and Erdogan will be held in a tete-a-tete format with the participation of translators. 

“Today, part of the working day will be devoted to international affairs, he [Putin] will talk to Erdogan within the framework of the work visit,” the Kremlin spokesman explained.

Earlier, Peskov told TASS that the leaders of Russia and Turkey were not going to sign any documents following the meeting. 

As the Kremlin explained on Tuesday, Putin and Erdogan are to discuss various aspects of the Russian-Turkish partnership in political, trade and economic fields. The two presidents will also exchange opinions on topical international issues, including the state of affairs in Syria, Libya, Afghanistan and the Transcaucasus.