Lavrov: Normalization of Russia-Turkey relations to help Syrian settlement

The normalization of relations between Russia and Turkey will help in the search for solutions to the Syrian crisis, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday.

"All this will have a positive impact on the overall situation in the region and, importantly, I hope it will help us to search more efficiently for joint approaches to the settlement of the Syrian crisis," Lavrov told reporters according to Sputnik news agency.

The November 24 airstrike at the Russian Su-24 plane prompted Russia to impose trade restrictions on Turkey. Last month, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan apologized for the air incident, in a letter to Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

By doing so Ankara fulfilled Moscow’s condition for restoring the long-term partnership between the two countries. The letter also said a legal case was launched against a Turkish citizen suspected of involvement in the death of the downed plane’s pilot, which was another precondition.

On June 29, Erdogan and Putin agreed in a phone talk to meet in person later this year. Putin then lifted the ban on charter flights to Turkey and ordered the government to negotiate trade revival with Ankara.

Source: MENA