Putin, Erdogan to meet in Sochi – Kremlin

The Russian President will host his Turkish counterpart in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on August 5, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dimitri Peskov. The two leaders will discuss “regional problems and bilateral relations" according to Peskov.

Erdogan and Putin last met in Tehran for the Astana Summit hosted by Iran. The two presidents had a one-on-one before holding a trilateral meeting with Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi.

Shortly after that, Erdogan hosted UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, and Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov for a landmark deal on opening a “grain corridor” that would allow the export of grain and food products from Ukrainian ports. Russia carried out a missile strike against the port city of Odesa less than 24 hours after the deal was signed.

Another issue that could be on the agenda of Putin and Erdogan is Turkey’s looming offensive in Syria. Erdogan renewed his case for the incursion in Tehran, saying that “you say you understand Turkey’s concerns and we thank you for this, but words alone are not enough,” to Putin and Raisi. Both Russia and Iran voiced their opposition to a new military operation by Turkey in Northern Syria.