Baku, Azerbaijan, June 14
By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:
Turkey and Russia must develop bilateral relations - something that is in the interests of not only Moscow and Ankara, but also the entire region, Naciye Selin Senocak, chair holder at UNESCO Cultural Diplomacy Governance and Education, Center for Diplomatic and Strategic Studies (CEDS), told Trend June 14.
She was commenting on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's congratulatory message to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the occasion of the Russia Day.
Senocak added that Ankara has repeatedly extended its hand of friendship to Moscow following the Russian Su-24 bomber incident.
"The Turkey-Russia political and economic relations have had important and strategic nature over the recent years," she said.
As the expert said, some forces were concerned about strengthening of the Russia-Turkey relations [before the Su-24 bomber incident].
She also does not rule out that those forces tried to further worsen the Ankara-Moscow relations and take the advantage of the aggravation of the two countries' relations.
Senocak said the external forces are interested in the crisis in the Turkey-Russia relations.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sent a letter to Russia's President Vladimir Putin on the occasion of Russia Day.
In his letter to Putin, Erdogan said he wishes the Russian-Turkish relations to reach a deserved level.
Relations between Russia and Turkey deteriorated after Turkish Air Force shot down a Russian Su-24 bomber on Nov. 24, 2015.
Following the incident, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on measures to ensure national security and economic measures against Turkey.
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