A. KORITSKY, Political commentator for the Voice of Russia RGRK

In the centuries-old history of Russian - Turkish relations, marked by periods of friendship and confrontation, including military ones, the official visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Turkey, which took place on December 5-6, 2004, undoubtedly occupied a special place. According to Moscow and Ankara, this visit, which opened a new page in relations between the two countries, is of historical significance. After all, this was, in fact, the first visit of a Russian head of state in the entire five-century history of Russian-Turkish relations, with the exception of his arrival in Turkey in 1972. Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR N. Podgorny, who was at that time the formal head of state.

During Vladimir Putin's visit, a package of important documents was signed, which set out agreements to further expand the multifaceted partnership between Russia and Turkey in various fields.

POLITICAL DIALOGUE

Political contacts between Russia and Turkey have always lagged behind the development of bilateral relations in other areas, primarily in trade and economy. This was also noted by President Vladimir Putin during the high-level talks in Ankara. During the Soviet era, this situation was explained by the fact that the two countries belonged to different military and political blocs. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, it took years for the ideological stereotypes of the Cold War era to gradually disappear from the sphere of Russian-Turkish relations. This is a difficult and very painful period. Eliminating them in relations between the two countries was no easier than the Berlin Wall. Today we remember with a smile that the owners of small Turkish cafes prudently, in order to avoid trouble, changed the name "Russian salad" in the menu to "American Salad". And I, a young head of the State Broadcasting Agency of the USSR in Ankara, was instructed by the Central Committee of the CPSU in the late 70s, and seriously warned about the dangers and difficulties of working in "a very difficult NATO country directly bordering the Soviet Union."

Fortunately, the days of such stereotypes and biases based on basic ignorance of each other are now behind us. Overcoming them is the painstaking work of statesmen, politicians, diplomats, representatives of the business community, scientists, cultural figures, and all those who, despite difficulties and obstacles, managed to build Russian-Turkish relations not only taking into account the national interests of the peoples of the two countries, but also made them significant for the region and the world as a whole.

I think it would be unfair if we do not recognize the considerable contribution of people's diplomacy in this important process. After all, twenty years ago the circle of people who represented our countries to each other was, with a few exceptions, practically limited to the diplomatic corps of the two states. Today, millions of Russians and Turks are in daily contact with each other. These are hundreds of representative offices of large and small companies, joint ventures, 1 million 200 thousand Russian tourists who visited Turkish resorts last year alone, thousands of mixed Russian-Turkish marriages.

These global changes could not but make adjustments to the formation of the political dialogue between Russia and Turkey, which gradually began to acquire new qualities.

After the collapse of the USSR, the basic guidelines for relations between Russia and Turkey are based on the Treaty on the Foundations of Relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey of May 25, 1992. Currently, relations between the two countries are defined by more than 60 major legal acts. Seven of them were signed during Vladimir Putin's official visit to Turkey. The main one is the joint Political declaration on deepening friendship and multifaceted partnership between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey. It was this document that finally confirmed the high level of political dialogue between Moscow and Ankara, which allows the parties to resolve any issues at the negotiating table and effectively contribute to the deepening of bilateral partnership relations.

The path to such a regime of relations with Turkey was really difficult because of relapses of confrontational thinking that sometimes arise from both sides. The most important tool for overcoming the negative past and bringing cooperation between the two countries to a regional and global level was the Action Plan for Developing Cooperation between Russia and Turkey in Eurasia (from bilateral cooperation to a multi - faceted partnership), signed on November 16, 2001 in New York by the Foreign Ministers of the two countries. In the document, the parties stated that " the fundamental changes taking place in the world

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historical changes have opened a new stage in cooperation between Russia and Turkey, characterized by opportunities to develop fruitful bilateral and regional cooperation in all areas in the spirit of friendship and mutual trust." The Plan lists specific areas of cooperation between the two countries, including such non-traditional areas as political, military, and security services.

At the same time, the parties for the first time indicated in this document their readiness for dialogue, consultations and cooperation in the Balkans, the Caucasus, Cyprus, the Middle East, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Iraq, the Black Sea region, the Mediterranean, as well as on issues of Eurasian issues and the comprehensive structure of European security. The mere mention of these agreements indicates the breakthrough nature of this document. After all, both in Russia and in Turkey, there were strong positions of those who clearly considered Russian-Turkish relations in these regions, especially in the Caucasus and Central Asia, as a tough rivalry.

A High - level Joint Working Group (HLWG) headed by the Co-Chairs and Deputy Foreign Ministers of the two countries was established to implement the agreements set out in the Plan. The HLWW meets twice a year, alternately in Moscow and Ankara, to analyze the main aspects of bilateral relations, as well as the processes taking place in the Eurasian space, and develop the main areas of possible interaction. The next meeting was held in Ankara in May 2004. The agenda of this meeting included the situation in Iraq and the post-war development of this country, the Middle East settlement, security and stability in the Black Sea region, in particular, the organization of navigation in the Black Sea Straits, and the situation in Cyprus.

A working subgroup on the South Caucasus was formed within the HLWW. During the talks in Ankara in December 2004, Russian President Vladimir Putin Putin expressed satisfaction with Turkey's interest in the stability of the countries of the region, in solving the problems that remain there, and noted Moscow's readiness to continue a regular and multi-level dialogue with Ankara on regional issues, including the South Caucasus. "These problems are much closer and clearer to us, because the Transcaucasian countries are our neighbors," the Russian president stated.

That is why Russia and Turkey, as neighbors in Transcaucasia, are actively involved in the settlement of the Karabakh problem and the confrontation in Georgia. Moscow and Ankara have important interests and responsibilities in this region, which put both sides before the need to coordinate their actions in this explosive area. According to the Presidents of Russia and Turkey, the potential of such cooperation is far from exhausted.

The dialogue between Moscow and Ankara on the South Caucasus can effectively "heal" many pain points in the region. These include Nagorno-Karabakh, the explosive standoff in Georgia, and Turkish-Armenian relations, whose normalization is an essential condition for stability and security in the region as a whole. Russia is interested in establishing Turkish-Armenian relations.

Russian political and diplomatic circles note with satisfaction that the meetings of the Foreign Ministers of Turkey and Armenia in 2002 - 2004 allowed us to put into operation a regular mechanism for bilateral discussion of settlement issues. According to experts, including Western ones, the first practical steps on this path could be the opening of the Turkish-Armenian border, as well as the restoration and start of operation of the Kars-Gyumri railway, in which both the United States and the European Union are interested. This would make it possible to start implementing the well-known "scheme for resolving political conflicts in the South Caucasus through economic cooperation".

To demonstrate the dynamics of the development of the Russian-Turkish political dialogue at the highest level, we will give a few more examples. The first meeting of the Presidents of the two countries took place in September 2000 in New York as part of the Millennium Summit. I had a chance to talk with members of the delegations of both countries. They noted with satisfaction the fact that it was not a formal meeting on duty, which is often held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. It was after this meeting that active work was started to prepare for the signing of the Action Plan for the Development of cooperation between the two countries in Eurasia. The next meaningful and substantive talks between Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer took place in May 2002 at the NATO - Russia summit in Italy. In October 2003, the two heads of State met in Malaysia as part of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) summit. The meeting had a positive impact-

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I look forward to the process of Russia's rapprochement with this authoritative international organization. Turkey has unequivocally expressed its support for expanding cooperation between Russia and the OIC and has demonstrated its readiness to assist this process, which is important for Moscow. Thus, at the initiative of Turkey, as the host of the regular OIC forum at the level of Foreign Ministers, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was invited to Istanbul in June 2004 to participate in its work, and he was given a podium to present Russia's position on the Islamic world. According to experts, this was an important step towards strengthening Russia's dialogue with the Islamic world.

During these years, another important mechanism of Russian-Turkish political dialogue has been gradually forming - regular telephone conversations between Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Alexander Sezer and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who, if necessary, can coordinate their actions in real time when solving acute international problems. In particular, one of these issues was the Iraq crisis, its acute phase related to the opposition to Washington's decision to use force.

And one more example. In 2004 alone, the Foreign Ministers of Russia and Turkey met seven times. The new logic of Russian-Turkish cooperation requires a regular "reconciliation of hours" on issues that are important for both countries. And the historic visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin's visit to Turkey eloquently demonstrated that a new quality of political dialogue has been established between the two countries.

It is no exaggeration to note the special role of the current Turkish government of the parliamentary majority, headed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in this process. The visits to Moscow of Erdogan as leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party in Turkey in December 2002 and Foreign Minister A. Gul in February 2004 and their talks with V. Putin gave a positive impetus to the bilateral political dialogue.

The two presidents also discussed issues of further military-technical cooperation. Such cooperation has been carried out since 1992.Turkey became the first NATO member country with which Russia established ties in this area. The basis for bilateral military-technical cooperation was laid by the meetings of Russian President Boris Yeltsin with Turkish Prime Minister Sergei Demirel in Moscow (May 1992) and Istanbul (June 1992). At that time, an agreement in principle was reached on the supply of Russian weapons and military equipment to the Turkish side in the amount of up to $ 300 million.

In April 1994, an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the defense industry was signed. And in May 2001, a Joint Russian-Turkish Commission on military-technical cooperation was established, which is designed to make cooperation in this area more stable and long-term.

Despite the objective limitations of military-technical cooperation with Turkey, which, in particular, include the NATO standards applied by it and fierce competition from the United States and other Western states that have strong positions in Turkish military and political circles, the prospects and political significance of cooperation with the Turkish side in this area are obvious. In turn, Turkey continues to consider Russia as a possible partner.-

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a profitable supplier of weapons. The Turkish military-industrial complex sees Russia as a source of exclusive technologies (aviation, navy, space, air defense systems, small arms) that the West does not possess or that cannot be obtained from traditional partners.

Moscow and Ankara are ready to continue establishing ties along this line. To confirm their intentions, the parties signed two important documents in Ankara: the Agreement on Mutual Protection of Intellectual Property Used and Obtained during the Bilateral Military-Technical Cooperation, and the Agreement on Mutual Protection of Classified Information and Materials Transmitted during the Bilateral Military-technical Cooperation.

Further development of fruitful contacts between Moscow and Ankara was marked by the working visit of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Moscow on January 10-12, 2005. The Turkish Prime Minister was accompanied by a delegation of 600 leading representatives of the Turkish business community. During the talks, the two leaders discussed the full range of Russian-Turkish relations and outlined concrete ways to implement the agreements reached in Ankara last December. In particular, the figures for the growth of bilateral trade turnover were agreed upon. Its volume will exceed $ 15 billion this year, and in 2007 it may reach $ 25 billion. Moscow and Ankara believe that these are real goals. The Turkish shopping center "Arcadia" opened during the visit in Moscow with a total area of 18 thousand square meters will also contribute to their achievement.

Vladimir Putin welcomed the progress made by Ankara on its way to the European Union and called for using Turkey's infrastructure to rebuild Iraq. He also said that he " does not consider the isolation of the northern part of Cyprus fair, especially when the Turkish Cypriots showed a willingness to cooperate during the referendum on the unification of Cyprus."

R. T. Erdogan, in turn, declared Ankara's readiness to provide Moscow with comprehensive support in matters of Russia's accession to the WTO. The two leaders agreed to coordinate their actions on issues related to the Middle East settlement, the situation in Iraq, the fight against terrorism, security and stability in the Black Sea region and the South Caucasus.

FANTASY BECOMES REALITY

Over the past 30 years, the volume of Russian-Turkish trade and economic relations has increased more than 100 times. By the end of 2004, this figure exceeded $ 10 billion.

Today, Russia is the second largest trading partner of Turkey after Germany in terms of total trade turnover. Turkey is ahead of such countries as Japan, South Korea and India among Russia's trading partners, and may become one of the leaders in this area in the coming years. The total amount of contracts signed by Turkish construction and contracting companies in Russia exceeds $ 14 billion, while Russian organizations in Turkey - only $ 400 million. In the last two years, the bilateral trade turnover has increased by 15-20%. The positive balance in favor of Russia reaches $ 3.8 billion.

At the same time, taking into account "shuttle trade", the state of affairs in the market of international transportation and contracting activities, as well as Turkey's income from Russian tourism, Russia's current account balance for 2003-2004 is negative and amounts to approximately $ 2 billion.

The documents signed in Ankara in December 2004 made the political dialogue dynamic, stable and thorough, significantly increased the level of trust in Russian-Turkish relations, which today has a stimulating effect on expanding ties in other areas, primarily in trade and economy.

According to Russian and Turkish experts, the total cost of the projects discussed during Vladimir Putin's visit to Turkey amounted to more than $ 20 billion. In particular, they discussed the joint construction of gas pipelines, hydroelectric power plants and dams. With the assistance of Russia, the implementation of construction contracts in Turkey will continue, including the construction of the Deriner dam and hydroelectric power station, the Torul hydroelectric power station, as well as the modernization of the Iskenderun Metallurgical Plant, the aluminum plant in Seydisehir and the Aliaga oil Refinery built in the 70s and 80s of the last century with the participation of Soviet specialists.

The parties also agreed that Turkey will build three nuclear power plants by 2012 with the help of Russia. According to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey Hilmi Guler, this will allow the Turkish economy to avoid problems with electricity shortages.

Of course, one of the main aspects of Russian-Turkish trade and economic ties is cooperation in the oil and gas sector. At the end of last year, during high-level talks in December, the Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee and the General Manager of the Turkish oil and gas pipeline corporation Botash signed a Memorandum on the development of cooperation in the gas sector. In accordance with this document, Russia will assist Turkey in implementing gasification projects, in the field of gas distribution, and in creating gas and energy capacities on Turkish territory. In other words, the task of supplying Russian gas to Turkey directly or through a subsidiary will be solved.-

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all the way from Gazprom's enterprises to end-users. The Russian side is ready to invest in these projects a part of the profit from Russian gas supplies to Turkey.

Moscow and Ankara agreed that the ongoing processes of gas market liberalization in Turkey and Gazprom's flexible policy in this area create additional conditions for the development of new forms of cooperation in the supply of Russian gas. For the first time, the parties agreed to study joint projects on the organization of gas transit through Turkey to the markets of third countries to which Russian gas is not currently supplied. We are talking, in particular, about Syria and Israel.

Cooperation between the two countries in the gas sector began in 1986, when the governments of the USSR and Turkey signed an agreement in Ankara on the supply of natural gas to Turkey. In total, from the beginning of deliveries in 1987 to 2004 inclusive, about 120 billion cubic meters of natural gas were exported from Russia to Turkey, which is supplied via two routes: the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline and the Blue Stream pipeline. The latter complements the gas transportation corridor from Russia to Turkey, passing through the territories of Ukraine, Moldova, Romania and Bulgaria, significantly increases the reliability of gas supplies to Turkey and creates additional prerequisites for the development of the gas market and gas infrastructure in this country. Russian gas exports to Turkey are increasing every year, reaching about 14 billion cubic meters in 2004.

As for the Blue Stream project, this is another fantastic story that Russian-Turkish cooperation has made a reality. I was able to attend the first presentation of this unique project, which took place in Ankara in November 1997. Representatives of Gazprom, Turkish oil and gas corporations, the diplomatic corps, members of the Turkish government, scientists, and journalists were present. The announced technical characteristics of the gas pipeline impressed the participants of the presentation. As an example, here are a few numbers. For the first time in the world, a 396 km long section of the Trans-Black Sea steel highway has been laid along the bottom of the Black Sea at a depth of 2,150 m! According to international experts, this operation is akin to launching a person into space.

However, it wasn't just technical difficulties that made the project difficult to implement. The main obstacle was the tough position of the United States, which objected to strengthening Russian-Turkish cooperation in the gas sector for opportunistic political reasons. The media spread frightening forecasts of American experts about the technical impossibility of implementing the project, about the financial risks of investing in this project, about gas dependence on Russia, which Turkey allegedly falls into if the Blue Stream is implemented, etc.

"Blue Stream" survived. Russian-Turkish cooperation has also survived. And Washington has learned a lesson: respect the national interests of its allies. I talked to many Turkish government ministers of that period about this issue. Their common position was formulated by one of them - State Minister Sina Gurel. Giving an assessment of the American thesis about the possibility of gas dependence on Russia, he stated with a smile: there can be no question of any unilateral dependence, but we are interdependent, because we cooperate in the interests of the peoples of Russia and Turkey. The current Russian gas supplies via the Blue Stream pipeline and their great importance for the development of the Turkish economy eloquently confirm this conclusion.

One of the results of increasing the level of trust in Russian-Turkish relations is the formation and development of such a new direction as investment cooperation. Both sides have not yet gained extensive experience of cooperation in this area. Nevertheless, its initial stage has shown that this is a very promising and mutually beneficial direction. According to reputable foreign experts, the investment climate in Russia is improving every year. The volume of foreign investment in the Turkish economy is also growing, especially in connection with the recommendation of the European Commission to EU member states to start negotiations on Turkey's admission to this organization.

The total volume of Turkish investments in the Russian economy has so far amounted to more than $ 1.5 billion. The main areas of investment are the textile, food, woodworking industries, and the production of building materials. The Turkish side is beginning to gradually develop the market of household electrical appliances. So, in the city of Alexandrov, Vladimir region, in 2004, a plant for the production of televisions of the Turkish brand "Vestel"was built. Initially, the plant will produce 500 thousand TV sets per year, and the design capacity is 2 million per year. Turkish investors are successfully developing not only the markets of major Russian cities, but also Russian regions, skillfully using the advantages of local laws for foreign investment.

As for Russian investments in the Turkish economy, they are much more modest and do not exceed $ 350 million. At the same time, there are already a number of interesting projects. RAO UES of Russia, together with Sual-Holding, is interested in participating in the management and subsequent privatization of the region's largest Ceidisehir aluminum plant. In 2002, work began on the implementation of a joint project to build a champagne wine factory in Kilis with the participation of the Russian company Kornet. The volume of Russian investments is estimated at $ 10 million. A difficult situation has developed around the privatization of Turkey's largest oil refinery Tyuprash by the Russian company Tatneft. In February 2004, the Tatneft Concern was declared the winner of the tender for the privatization of this plant. However, this decision was later challenged in court due to procedural errors made during the competition. The Supreme Arbitration Court also did not support the Russian company.

All this suggests that there are issues in the promising area of investment cooperation between Russia and Turkey,

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which need to be settled on the basis of a legal framework.

THERE ARE NO "FRIENDS" AND "STRANGERS"TERRORISTS

One of the main topics of the Russian-Turkish high-level talks in Ankara was the problem of coordinating the actions of the two countries in the fight against new threats and challenges. Vladimir Putin, in conversations with Turkish leaders, emphasized that the high level of Russian-Turkish relations and the existing legal framework allow us to count on much closer and more effective cooperation in the fight against terrorism, separatism, national and religious extremism, and organized crime.

Indeed, an analysis of the state of affairs in this important area of relations between Russia and Turkey suggests that the difficult path of forming a mechanism for cooperation between Moscow and Ankara in this area can be an example for other countries. After all, both countries take the same positions on the need to join forces in the fight against these threats and were among the first in the region to record the identity of their positions in a number of bilateral interstate documents.

Thus, in 1992, Russia and Turkey signed an Agreement on joint fight against terrorism, in 1996 - a Memorandum on cooperation in the fight against terrorism, and in 1999-a Declaration in which the parties agreed to expand cooperation in this area. In February 2001, a Protocol on cooperation between the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and Turkey was signed. In January

In 2002, inter-ministerial Russian-Turkish consultations on anti-terrorist issues were held in Moscow with the participation of other interested agencies. And in April of the same year, an agreement was reached at a meeting of the HLWW to give regular consultations on anti-terrorist issues. The need to strengthen coordination between the two countries is highlighted in the Action Plan for Developing Cooperation between the Russian Federation and Turkey in Eurasia, as well as in the joint Political Declaration signed by the two Presidents in December 2004.

Even a simple listing of these documents shows that over the past 12 years, Moscow and Ankara have managed to create a solid legal framework for bilateral cooperation in the fight against new threats and challenges. And it gives positive results. A regular exchange of operational information has been established between the relevant agencies, allowing them to take preventive measures on a wide range of crimes related to terror, illegal arms and drug trafficking. Recently, the Turkish authorities have been taking measures to stop the activities of self-styled "representatives of Ichkeria" and their other accomplices in Turkey. Thus, after the demarche of the Russian side in early November 2002, the "representative of CRI" in Turkey and the Middle East Z. was expelled from Turkey. Arslangeriev, "representative of A. Maskhadov" I. Khalilov was denied entry to the country. Earlier, Ankara deported the head of the "representative office of CRI in Istanbul" R. Dushuyev. M. Udugov, R. Gelayev and a number of other persons were banned from entering Turkey.

In August 2003, the Turkish Government decided that humanitarian assistance to refugees from Chechnya in Turkey should be provided centrally, only through the State-controlled Red Crescent Society.

During his visit to Turkey, the Russian President thanked the Turkish side for the support provided to Russia in this area. "We know that Turkey has also been repeatedly targeted by terrorists. We are grateful to Turkey for its moral and political support to Russia in the fight against terrorism, " Putin said.

At the same time, the Russian side would like even closer and more active assistance from Ankara in this area, in particular, on the issue of combating Chechen separatism. Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov stated during the visit of the Russian President after talks with his Turkish counterpart Vladimir Genyul that " Russia and Turkey are in a region where there are sources of instability, threats and challenges. In this situation, Russia would like to establish closer and more substantive cooperation with Turkey in identifying the links of terrorists operating in Chechnya, where terrorists from 52 countries have been killed over the past three years. Unfortunately, a number of cases of elimination of mercenaries from among Turkish citizens have also been recorded in Chechnya. This means that Turkey retains channels of support for terrorists operating in Chechnya. We need not declarative, but practical cooperation."

It seems that Moscow and Ankara understand the need to make more active use of the existing legal framework in this area. I had the opportunity to discuss this issue with Turkish Interior Minister Sadettin Tantan in 2001. A high-class professional, he has conducted a number of major anti-terrorist operations in Turkey, and therefore understands the importance of joining forces in the fight against this evil. Giving a very high assessment of the Russian-Turkish legal framework on combating terrorism, the Minister stressed that both sides have great opportunities in using it.-

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zervy. It is necessary to abandon double standards, dividing terrorists into "friends and foes"," bad and good". Such actions are in the true interests of Russia and Turkey. The leaders of the two countries during the talks in Ankara said a firm " yes " to such a policy. It seems that now an important role in its implementation can be played by the special services of the two countries, whose interaction, despite the complexity of this process, is also gaining momentum.

"EUGENE ONEGIN" IN THE RUSSIAN-TURKISH VERSION

The legal basis for cultural cooperation between the two countries is the bilateral Agreement on Cultural and Scientific Cooperation of July 19, 1994, the three-year Programs of cultural, educational, scientific, youth and sports exchanges prepared on its basis, and the Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Tourism of March 24, 1995.

From May 21 to June 4, 2004, for the first time in the history of interstate relations, the Festival of Turkish Culture was held in Russia with great success. Preparations are under way for a similar festival of Russian culture to be held in Turkey in 2005.

The performances of leading Russian art and theater groups (the Beryozka choreographic ensemble, the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Theaters), circus and pop artists were remembered and loved in Turkey. Russian groups regularly take part in the Ankara and Istanbul Art Festivals, as well as the International Folklore Festival of the Black Sea Countries in Trabzon. The Istanbul and Ankara Opera and Ballet Theaters, the Istanbul and Ankara Conservatories, and the Bilkent University Symphony Orchestra (Ankara) have long-term contracts with Russian specialists-conductors, ballet teachers, and musicians.

When I was working in Turkey, I was pleased to see the works of Russian artists on the bookshelves of many shops, not only in the capital, but also in provincial ones

classics, books about the immortal feat of the peoples of the Soviet Union in the Great Patriotic War, the present day of Russia. And it was doubly pleasant when it became clear from conversations with the Turks that these books were read with interest.

And it should be noted that mutual interest in each other's culture is a two-way road. In Russia, they know not only Nazim Hikmet, Aziz Nesin, but also other classics of Turkish literature. Published in 2004, the works of the writer Orhan Pamuk became bestsellers in the Russian book market. We are neighbors. And mutual attraction, despite all the vicissitudes on the historical path of 500 years, is an indisputable fact of our bilateral relations.

Here are some more examples. The current repertoire of the Ankara Opera and Ballet Theater includes the ballet "Spartak" by Aram Khachaturian, staged by Belarusian choreographers. And in the recent premiere of the opera Eugene Onegin, staged in collaboration with the Bolshoi Theater, the role of Tatiana was performed by a Turkish singer, and Onegin by a Russian singer, the role of Olga by a Russian performer, and Lensky by a Turk. Antalya, which is popular with tourists from Russia, has a Russian TV channel, and the Panorama newspaper is published in Russian. In July 2004, our compatriots living in Turkey registered the "Society for the Promotion of Russian Culture"in Ankara. Its branches start operating in Istanbul and Izmir.

A notable feature is the unprecedented growth of interest in learning the Russian language in Turkey in the entire history of bilateral relations. And this is also an indicator of mutual sympathy. "The Great and Mighty "is studied at universities, in private educational institutions, on courses, then they come to Russia to improve their knowledge. It is prestigious and profitable. The growth of relations in all areas requires specialists with knowledge of the Russian language, which means that it will be an interesting job. At the end of 2004, the Russian Ambassador to Turkey P. Stegny took part in the ceremony of handing over a large batch of Russian books for the Russian Language Department of Istanbul University.

* * *

Of course, in Russian-Turkish relations, as between any partner, there are problems and issues that need to be resolved. These include the organization of navigation in the Black Sea Straits, better cooperation in the fight against terrorism and separatism, as well as in solving regional problems, and the establishment of mutually acceptable ways of investment cooperation and relations through military-technical cooperation. It is important that the level of trust between Moscow and Ankara allows us to resolve these issues through dialogue, at the negotiating table.

This is what allowed the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. For the first time in the history of interstate relations between the two countries, Putin should declare that " Russia and Turkey today have practically no points of conflict, no objects of rivalry."

During my many years of correspondent work in Turkey, I have met and talked with many interesting people. Among them are presidents, speakers of Parliament, prime ministers, members of governments, party officials, representatives of the business community, scientists, diplomats, cultural figures, ordinary workers and peasants. I asked myself the question: what unites all these different meetings? And he replied: sincere interest in Russia and understanding of the importance of our good-neighborly, partnership relations.

Today, both sides have favorable opportunities to bring Russian-Turkish relations to a qualitatively new level. The geographical proximity of our countries, the close relationship between the historical destinies of our peoples over the centuries objectively lead us to the need to develop the closest relations in all areas, and allow us to saturate the agenda of the bilateral dialogue as much as possible. It is precisely such relations that fully meet the interests of Russia and Turkey and the needs of strengthening peace and stability in the vast Eurasian space.

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