Putin calls Erdogan after coup, both set for August meeting

[MikeWB]

Is there a geopolitical re-alignment happening?


Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the first week of August, according to a report by Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency.

The report on Sunday cited an anonymous "presidential source." It did not give the exact date for the meeting nor did it say where it is expected to take place.

Putin agreed to the meeting in a phone conversation with Erdogan, in which the Russian president expressed support for Turkey following Friday's attempted coup.

Putin expressed sympathy and condolences for those who were killed and said that Russia stands by the elected Turkish government, also expressing his hope for order and stability to be ensured soon.

    Telephone conversation with President of Turkey @RT_Erdogan https://t.co/jrqFgumbs3
    — President of Russia (@KremlinRussia_E) July 17, 2016

At least 265 people have been killed in the violence that ensued after a fraction of the military rolled out tanks onto the streets on Friday evening in Istanbul and Ankara to take over.

Erdogan vowed severe punishment of alleged participants in the coup and its suspected supporters. At least 6,000 people have been detained, most of them from the military, but also many judges and other judiciary officials.

On Sunday, Erdogan and other government and ruling AK Party officials attended mid-day prayers at Istanbul's main mosque where coffins with remains of some of the victims of the violence were resting before being taken for burial.

Relations between Ankara and Moscow have been severely strained since last November when Turkey shot down a Russian warplane on the Turkish-Syrian border, killing the pilot as he attempted to parachute to safety.

Diplomatic relations have been frozen and Russia slapped a tourist and a trade ban on Turkey. It was lifted two weeks ago following Erdogan's public apology for the incident and the pilot's death.