Turkey, a NATO member since 1952, has angered Moscow by supplying combat drones to Ukraine that Russia fears could be used by Kiev in its conflict with separatists in two eastern regions.
Putin and Erdogan "exchanged New Year's greetings and summarised the main results of bilateral cooperation and confirmed the desire to further intensify the mutually beneficial partnership between Russia and Turkey," the Kremlin said in a statement about the leaders' phone call.
Erdogan's office said both sides "discussed steps to improve Turkish-Russian relations" and reiterated their desire to develop cooperation "in all fields".
Last month, Putin criticised Kiev for deploying Turkish-made drones in its conflict with pro-Moscow separatists.
Ankara says it cannot be blamed for Ukraine's use of Turkish drones, adding if a state buys Turkish weaponry, it is no longer a Turkish product but belongs to the country which buys it.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu urged Russia last week to drop "one-sided" demands and adopt a more constructive approach in its standoff with Western powers and NATO over Ukraine.
Russia wants NATO to provide Moscow with a binding security guarantee and withdraw its forces to positions they held before a wave of eastward expansion that began after the Soviet Union's collapse.
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, is Copyright 1995-2026 Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principles for news reporting and research purposes. |
