Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated his "dear friend" Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who announced his victory in the Turkish presidential elections today, Sunday. He stated that the victory is evidence of the Turkish people's appreciation for Erdoğan's independent foreign policy. The Kremlin reported that Putin sent a message to Erdoğan saying, "The victory in the elections was a natural result of your dedicated work as President of the Republic of Turkey, and is a clear indication of the Turkish people's support for your efforts in enhancing state sovereignty and managing an independent foreign policy."
Putin added, "We greatly appreciate your personal contribution to strengthening friendly Russian-Turkish relations and fruitful bilateral cooperation in various fields." He emphasized the significant importance he places on joint projects such as the Akkuyu nuclear power plant in Turkey, which is being built by the Russian state energy company Rosatom, and the gas hub proposed by Putin in Turkey.
