News Analysis: More work needed to fully restore Turkey-Russia relations

BEIJING, December 8 (Xinhua) — Russia and Turkey believe bilateral relations have turned a new page following Turkish Prime Minister Binaly Yildirim’s two-day visit to Russia.

During the trip, both sides agreed to further strengthen cooperation, develop economic and trade ties and implement major joint programs.

However, Russian experts believe that while Russia-Turkey relations are in normalization mode, ties have not been restored to the level they were at a year ago before Turkey downed a Russian warplane near the Turkish-Syrian border.

Russia has not lifted restrictions on imports of agriculture and food products from Turkey, and the two nations still diverge on the Syrian crisis.

HOPES ON ENHANCING COOPERATION

Russian President Vladimir Putin, while receiving Yildirim upon his visit Tuesday, said the Turkish Prime Minister’s visit would boost bilateral relations and lay the groundwork for a meeting of the two heads of state scheduled for next year.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev took note of such long-term joint projects as the Turkish Stream natural gas pipeline and Turkey’s first nuclear power plant Akkuyu based on a Russian design while meeting with his Turkish counterpart Tuesday.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a law on ratifying the agreement with Russia on the Turkish Stream. The Russian parliament is expected to ratify it in the near future, according to Medvedev.

The Russian head of government also said the Russian side has endeavored to put the first nuclear unit into use by 2030, when Turkey celebrates the 100th anniversary of its founding.

Medvedev and Yildirim covered the cancellation of the embargo on Turkish farm produce, but Russia is unlikely to lift the ban by the end of 2016, Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachev said Tuesday.

Natalia Ulchenko, the sector chief of the Turkish Institute of Oriental Studies, said Russia is hesitant to drop the ban on Turkish agricultural products since it faces much pressure from the national agricultural ministry which supports domestic farm produce.

The Russian daily newspaper the Independent wrote that “Russia needs the ‘Turkish Stream,’ not Turkish tomatoes.”