Erdoğan, Putin discuss warplanes, submarines cooperation

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan discussed deepening defence industry cooperation with Russia during talks with his counterpart Vladimir Putin this week, the Turkish leader was quoted as saying on Sept. 30. 

Erdoğan and Putin held their first face-to-face talks in 18 months in the Black Sea resort of Sochi Wednesday, with the Syrian conflict high on their agenda.

"We had the opportunity to discuss what steps we could take on plane motors, warplanes," the Turkish leader told journalists on his return to Turkey.

"Another area where we can take several steps together is on building boats. We will God willing take joint steps even on submarines," he added.

Erdoğan reaffirmed Turkey's commitment to the S-400, vowing Ankara "would not take a step back" from the purchase, but called on the U.S. to either give the planes Turkey ordered or return its $1.4 billion payment.

Relations between Turkey and the U.S. are strained, and Erdoğan admitted last week that his personal ties with U.S. President Joe Biden had "not gotten off to a good start".

Erdoğan also said he proposed that Turkey and Russia could work together on building two more nuclear power plants, on which the Russian side agreed to cooperate.

Turkey's first nuclear power plant is under construction by Russia's Rosatom state nuclear energy firm in the country's south coast and it is expected to be online for Turkey's centenary as a post-Ottoman republic in 2023.

Erdogan, s400, Diplomacy,