ANKARA: Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit Turkey on February 12 for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, marking Putin’s first visit to a NATO ally since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
This visit comes amid limited international travel for Putin, driven by an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant issued against him in March last year for alleged war crimes related to the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
However, since Turkey is not a party to the Rome Statute of the ICC, Putin can travel without fear of arrest under the warrant.
Turkey, sharing maritime borders with Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea, has maintained diplomatic relations with both nations.
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Despite providing military support to Ukraine and expressing solidarity, Turkey opposes sanctions on Russia. In a recent development, Turkey and Ukraine signed an agreement allowing Turkish construction firms to participate in the reconstruction of Ukrainian infrastructure damaged during the conflict with Russia.
The visit underscores the complex relationship between Turkey and Russia, characterized by economic ties in tourism, gas supplies, and trade, juxtaposed with differences in regional conflicts such as those in Syria, Libya, and the South Caucasus.
Additionally, Erdoğan is scheduled to travel to Egypt on February 14, marking a diplomatic thaw after a decade of tension between the two countries.
