Close Relations Between Russian, Turkish Leaders Help Solve Regional Issues

Close relations between Russian and Turkish leaders, as well as long-term contacts between the two countries, help to find new solutions for regional problems and open new horizons for projects, according to a member of the Turkish Justice and Development Party.

MOSCOW, November 28 (Sputnik) — Close relations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan help to solve regional problems, a Turkish politician told Sputnik on Friday.

"Those close relations, which are there between our countries' leaders, as well as those long-term contacts, which are developing between our countries, help to find new solutions for problems in the region, and open new horizons for projects," Ahmet Berat Conkar, a member of the Turkish Justice and Development Party, said.

President Putin is expected to visit Turkey on December 1 to attend the Top-Level Cooperation Council. Putin will also meet with Erdogan to discuss cooperation in trade, economic and energy sectors.

"Mr. Putin's visit to Turkey during a period of new world order formation is a very important event for us," Conkar, who is also the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, added.

Russia is one of Turkey's main trading partners. In 2013, bilateral trade between the countries reached $32.7 billion. Earlier in November, the Russian leader said that he and Erdogan had agreed to bring mutual trade up to $100 billion in the next few years.