Both sides show pragmatism amid Syria crisisISTANBUL: Russian President Vladimir Putin visits Turkey on Monday for talks with counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, pushing forward ambitious joint energy projects as the two sides try to overcome a crisis in ties. Only a few months ago, Putin and Erdogan were exchanging acrimonious accusations over Syria. Turkey had shot down a Russian warplane over Syria in November 2015, sparking their worst crisis in ties since the Cold War. Russia and Turkey remain at odds over the Syria conflict, with Moscow a key backer of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad but Turkey making his exit from power its key strategic aim. The TurkStream pipeline is planned to pump 31.5 billion cubic meters per year of Russian gas to Europe, helping Moscow limit the gas transit through Ukraine.

Source: Manila Times October 10, 2016 14:03 UTC