Erdogan, Putin to talk on phone, Turkish PM saysJune 28, 2016 - 13:02 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a telephone conversation either on June 29 or June 30, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said, according to Hurriyet Daily News. “A phone conversation will be held between Mr. Putin and Mr. President on Wednesday or Thursday regarding the Turkey-Russia relationship,” Yıldırım told TRT late Monday, June 27. The premier also said the de facto process to normalize bilateral relationships between Ankara and Moscow had begun. “‘If only the incident [the downing of Russian jet] had never happened,’ we say. We have expressed our sadness. The de facto process to end the crisis has begun. That will be followed by relations in the economic field. We will [pretend that] the incidents within the six months never happened and continue on our way,” Yıldırım said. President Erdogan expressed his “regret and sorrow” to Putin in a letter addressing the downing of a Russian jet and the killing of two Russian pilots in 2015, expressing his desire to restore bilateral ties, the Turkish and Russian presidencies have said. The Kremlin said Monday that Putin received a letter from Erdogan that was later confirmed by the Turkish presidency that said Ankara and Moscow had “agreed to take necessary steps to improve relations.” Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Mirzoyan says meeting with Bayramov was “constructive” At the moment, Ararat Mirzoyan said, there is no basis for additional comments. OSCE vows support for Armenia “in all three directions of security” Achieving stable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains a priority of the OSCE, said Ian Borg. 151 detained as civil disobedience campaigns continue in Yerevan Citizens have been blocking streets in the Armenian capital, demanding Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation. France welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan meeting in Almaty France has welcomed the new round of negotiations between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. |