Russia’s no longer external security threat to Turkey?

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey will strike four countries, including Russia, from its list of external security threats in a bid to revise the country's national security strategy, national media reported on Monday.

The new national security strategy, the draft of which is to be considered at a National Security Council meeting in October, excludes Russia, Greece, Iran and Iraq from the so-called Red Book - a national security policy document - as "principal external threats," the Milliyet daily said.

Turkey regards international terrorism and fundamentalism as its main external threats.

Ankara has been closely cooperating with the four former "security threats" in recent years and now regards them as its new partners.

Turkey's relations with Russia have greatly improved since Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Party of Justice and Development came to power in 2002.

The draft strategy highlights close bilateral economic cooperation with Russia, good potential in trade and energy, and "a shared vision of stability in the Caucasus", RIA Novosti reported.