"I think that our current ties do not reflect the strong political will of our countries" leadership," the ambassador said, adding that Russia and Turkey may need decades before relations between the two countries reach their full potential.
Yardim stressed that the existing bilateral relations, including cooperation between universities and the media, require a comprehensive long-term approach.
"The results of short-term approaches can be limited," the Turkish diplomat emphasized.
Recently, Russia and Turkey managed to boost their cooperation in a number of areas amid sanctions imposed on Russia by the West. In November, Russia agreed to boost gas deliveries to Turkey, cutting the price for Ankara by six percent. Russia is also set to build Turkey's first nuclear power plant under a contract signed in 2010.
Apart from energy cooperation, the countries are planning to boost mutual trade and investment. In early December, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow and Ankara would also focus on expanding cooperation in agriculture and hi-tech, noting there was also a strong potential to intensify cooperation in the metallurgy, automotive industry and light industries.
