Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, on July 3-4, according to Turkish broadcaster Haberturk.
Erdogan, who will continue his state visit after the Eid al-Adha holiday, was invited to the summit as Turkiye is a "dialogue partner" of the SCO. During the summit, he will discuss Turkiye's relations with SCO member states, focusing on energy and trade.
The Ukraine conflict will be a key topic for Erdogan and Putin's meeting. They will also talk about the expansion of the Black Sea grain initiative, the Akkuyu nuclear power plant, the gas hub, and issues related to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the People's Defense Units (YPG) in northern Syria.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov mentioned that a meeting between the two leaders is "overdue" and is expected to occur if Erdogan attends the summit in Astana.
