Indeed, both countries are on course to normalize ties that were severely damaged after a Turkish F-16 fighter jet shot down a Russian Su-24 bomber over Syria on November 24, 2015. So much so that Erdogan is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 9.
"The meeting comes at an opportune time for Putin. Turkey is a key geopolitical player in the Black Sea region. But its Western orientation is now coming under stress," Jones observed.
The journalist further explained that "Ankara's ties with nearly all of its western allies are now strained amid suspicions of complicity in the unsuccessful July 15 putsch and growing criticism by both the United States and European Union over Erdogan's escalating crackdown in the coup-attempt aftermath."
The rapprochement between Moscow and Ankara should not come as a surprise considering that both countries had a blooming relationship before the November 24 incident. But there is an additional factor. Russia is rumored to have warned Erdogan of the looming military coup hours before it took place.
Moreover, "Moscow was among the first foreign governments to offer support to Erdogan during the failed military takeover – crucially when its outcome was far from clear," Jones added.
In this context, the upcoming meeting between Putin and Erdogan should not be brushed off as a formality.
"Putin has given his support to Erdogan. There are unconfirmed reports Russia was the first one to warn the Turks about the possible coup," international relations expert Soli Özel of Istanbul's Kadir Has University told Jones. "The fact that this will be the first major [post-coup] meeting by President Erdogan with any world leader makes it … significant."
Yet it will not be easy to return to the way things used to be, political analyst Victor Nadein-Raevsky of the Moscow-based Institute of the World Economy and International Relations wrote for the newspaper Izvestiya.
"Russian trade companies have already found new suppliers but they will be happy if Turkish goods return to the Russian market. Construction companies will look for new contracts. Airline companies will urgently search for planes for charter flights," he explained.
The analyst further said that many in Russia will "breathe a sigh of relief" when the visa-free regime is reintroduced.
"We have approximately 200,000 mixed marriages," he added. "More than 70,000 Russians have real estate in Turkey. Many Turks do business in Russia. Sanctions have affected many in education and culture."
