Turkey’s Erdogan to meet Putin during one-day visit to Russia’s Sochi

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi on August 5, the Turkish presidency said.

The two leaders held their first meeting since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the sidelines of a Syria summit in Tehran on July 19.

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Erdogan has tried to thrust Turkey -- on good terms with both Moscow and Kyiv -- into the center of diplomatic efforts to try and halt the five-month war.

Turkey worked with the United Nations to get the warring sides to sign a deal in Istanbul last week aimed at resuming grain shipments across the Black Sea.

Russia in turn has been concerned by Erdogan’s threats to launch a new military incursion into northern Syria.

Both Putin and Iranian leaders urged Erdogan against launching a new Syrian offensive last week.

Analysts believe that Turkey would prefer to get Russia and Iran’s approval before starting a new campaign against Kurdish militants in northern Syria that Ankara views as “terrorists.”

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