Russia is not afraid of differences with Turkey, says Putin

NOVO-OGARYOVO, October 22./TASS/. Russia is not afraid of differences with Turkey, Ankara is interested in continuing cooperation with Moscow, President Vladimir Putin told a plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club on Thursday. Russia does not fear anything now, and is not in a position where it should fear something, the president said when asked whether Russia was afraid of differences with Turkey because of Ankara’s allegedly pursuing the policy of expending the zone of its influence to the borders of the former Ottoman Empire. "I don’t know what President [of Turkey Recep Tayyip] Erdogan is planning, or what his attitude to the Ottoman heritage is - better ask him about this," Putin noted. "I know that the amount of our trade today is over $20 billion. I know that Turkey is really interested in continuing this cooperation," the president stressed. President Erdogan pursues an independent foreign policy, Putin noted. Thus, the Turkish Stream project was put into practice within a rather short time, "despite any pressure," he stressed. "Meanwhile, we have been ‘chewing over’ this issue with Europe for years, failing as of yet. Europe is still unable to show elementary independence and sovereignty for putting into practice the absolutely advantageous for it Nord Stream 2 project," the president noted. Read more