Hürriyet, Turkey
May 16 2009

Turkish PM Erdogan meets Putin in Russia

SOCHI – Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan met on Saturday his
Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort city of
Sochi. (UPDATED)

Speaking to press prior to their meeting, Erdogan said important
developments have been occurring between the two countries in the past
6 years.

Erdogan said Turkey was willing to further broaden its actual $35
billion trade volume with Russia.

Putin said relations between Turkey and Russia were boosting in full
cooperation, noting that Russia was the number one trade partner of
Turkey. He also said Turkey was an important trade partner of Russia.

Prior to his departure for Russia, Erdogan reiterated that the closure
of Turkish-Armenian border was related to the disputed region of
Nagorno-Karabakh. "Turkey will not open its border gates with Armenia
unless this problem is solved."

"Turkey will never leave its brother Azerbaijan alone," Erdogan also
said.

"Being a regional country, it is regardless of question for Turkey to
remain silent on Upper Karabakh matter. Turkey closed borders with
Armenia as a result of interventions there," he added.