ERDOGAN: FRUITFUL MEETING WITH PUTIN

ANKARA, SEPTEMBER 2 /SRNA – RIA Novosti/ - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Bishkek was fruitful and that Ukraine was among the topics discussed.

Erdogan, who spoke with Putin yesterday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, expressed Ankara’s readiness to help achieve a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine.

“The meeting was held in a very candid atmosphere,” Erdogan told reporters aboard the plane after returning from Bishkek.

He said that he had discussed with Putin all issues concerning bilateral relations.

Erdogan stressed the need to establish a mechanism for safe navigation in the Black Sea, noting that Ankara sees the situation in the Black Sea as contributing to a food crisis in Africa and therefore believes that an initiative needs to be undertaken.