On February 12-15, 2009, Turkish President Abdullah Pol paid a state visit to Russia at the invitation of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. The Moscow summit, according to Turkish experts, was an important event not only in terms of further development of bilateral partnership relations between the two Eurasian states, but also in terms of ensuring stability and security in the region and the world as a whole.

Turkish commentators, commenting on the results of what they emphasize is the historic visit of President A. Gul, put it on a par with the main milestones of more than five hundred years of Russian-Turkish relations. "The meeting in the Kremlin marked the beginning of a new page in relations with Russia, "Zaman, Turkey's most popular newspaper, wrote in an editorial¹. And this is not an accident. For the first time in the history of interstate Russian-Turkish relations, the head of the Republic of Turkey paid a state visit to Russia. For the first time, the President of Turkey visited one of the subjects of the Russian Federation - Tatarstan.

"WARM DIALOGUE WITH THE NORTHERN NEIGHBOR"

Turkish political and diplomatic circles, assessing the current state of Russian-Turkish relations, note that today Moscow and Ankara have no forbidden topics for discussion. The high level of trust between the two countries allows us to raise and solve any problem at the negotiating table. This is confirmed by the stable bilateral political dialogue, rich in concrete solutions, which includes high-level meetings, regular talks between the foreign ministers of the two countries, heads of other ministries and departments, as well as telephone conversations between the leaders of Russia and Turkey, which have become an integral attribute of operational contacts. It is noteworthy that over the past three years, ten high-level meetings of the leaders of Russia and Turkey have been held. And the February summit in Moscow was a logical continuation of such a dialogue.

The visit of the Turkish President is described here as the beginning of a qualitatively new stage in Russian-Turkish relations, which are steadily moving from a multi-faceted to a strategic partnership. It is obvious that Turkey has high hopes for close cooperation between Ankara and its "northern neighbor", for the strengthening of which both sides have clearly demonstrated serious political will more than ever before.

Not without pride, Ankara also spoke about the "brilliance of the Russian protocol" with which the Turkish head of state was received in Moscow. "A warm welcome from the northern neighbor" was the most popular headline in the media in those days, which were pleased to emphasize that Dmitry Medvedev's meeting with A. Gul lasted two hours longer than planned, and V. V. Putin "unexpectedly" offered to hold one-on-one talks. "This shows the leaders' determination to discuss all issues in detail, their sincere interest in the exchange of views, and no one can reproach that, they say, the parties managed to use the usual diplomatic cliches about "the need for cooperation" in such cases, "said the editor - in-chief of the Zaman newspaper E. Dumanly2.

STRATEGIC DOCUMENT

Ankara highly appreciates the Joint Declaration signed in Moscow by the two heads of state on moving towards a new Stage in Relations between Russia and Turkey and further deepening friendship and Multifaceted Partnership, noting that this document is important

a step towards strategic partnership between the two countries. After all, the Declaration states that " relations and cooperation between Russia and Turkey serve not only the interests of the two countries, but also make a significant contribution to ensuring peace, security, stability and development in the wider Eurasian space and in the world as a whole."³

The joint declaration is characterized as the main outcome of the visit. "Russia and Turkey have become powerful partners, "the authoritative Milliyet newspaper wrote⁴. After its signing, Dmitry Medvedev stressed that " this is not just a form or framework, but it is the document on the basis of which cooperation is subsequently implemented in the foreign policy sphere, in the sphere of trade and economic relations, and in the sphere of humanitarian cooperation."⁵. His Turkish counterpart also agrees with the Russian president. A. Gul noted that this is "not a framework agreement, but a comprehensive and clear document", which sets out not only the political will of both sides, but also concrete proposals for bringing bilateral relations to a qualitatively new level. ⁶

Editor of the popular newspaper Aksham I. Kuchukkaya draws attention to the symbolism of mentioning in the text of the Declaration of the "spirit of mutual friendship and solidarity" of the Russian-Turkish Treaty of Friendship and Brotherhood of March 16, 1921. According to him, the potential of the Declaration reflects the parties 'progress towards" a fateful partnership for both states " ^.7

The Kremlin's interpretation of the Declaration as a "strategic document"was also very positive in Ankara⁸. "It is flattering to realize that Russia is ready for a strategic partnership with Turkey, and for this both sides really have a potential that needs to be realized," says D. S. Bazoglu, an expert on international relations and professor at the prestigious Bilkent Private University, the largest in Turkey, in an interview with the Turkish news channel NTI-Vi " ⁹.

In this context, the words of the Russian President were noted that Moscow counts on strategic cooperation with Turkey to ensure security in the Black Sea region and the Caucasus.¹⁰ Special attention is drawn to A. Gul's statements about the key role of Russia in the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement process. According to the editor-in-chief of the authoritative newspaper "Radical" I. Berkan, Moscow and Ankara have a serious potential for cooperation on ^this track11. Turkish political scientists also pointed out the prospects for fruitful cooperation between the two states on the Middle East settlement. During the Moscow talks, the Turkish president expressed support for holding an international conference on this issue in Moscow.

These areas dominated the agenda of the talks between the top leaders of the two countries on regional and global cooperation. Russia and Turkey, realizing that the security of the Eurasian region is directly linked to stability in the South Caucasus, agreed to take effective measures to resolve frozen conflicts, which are an element of potential destabilization in this region. The sides considered the idea put forward by Ankara to create a Platform for Stability and Cooperation in the Caucasus as a constructive initiative that complements existing international mechanisms and contributes to creating an atmosphere of trust between countries involved in frozen conflicts.

The leaders of Russia and Turkey paid special attention to further strengthening cooperation in the Black Sea region. The agreement on joint efforts aimed at maximizing the effectiveness of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC)Organization is important - the main multilateral platform for cooperation in this region. The Presidents confirmed the importance of strengthening and deepening security cooperation within the framework of the Black Sea Force Naval Operational Cooperation Group, Operation Black Sea Harmony, and the Document on Confidence-and Security-building Measures in the Black Sea Naval Area. The clear position of Moscow and Ankara was again voiced that security in the region is provided only by its countries without involving extra-regional states.

MAJOR TRADE AND ECONOMIC PARTNERS

The high level of Russian-Turkish political dialogue has a positive impact on the expansion of bilateral relations in all other areas.

So, if in 2001 the total trade turnover was about 3.8 billion rubles. While in 2005 it reached $ 15.2 billion, this year, according to experts, it exceeded $ 38 billion. And this is not the limit. In Moscow, the figure of $ 50 billion was mentioned for the first time as quite realistic in the near future for bilateral trade turnover. This volume, as it is believed here, will not only indicate a qualitatively new level of Russian-Turkish trade and economic ties, but also significantly strengthen Turkey's position in its dialogue with the European Union on joining this organization as a full member.

Last year, Turkey, ahead of such countries as Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom, took the fifth place in the list of Russia's leading trading partners in the far abroad, and in 2008 it took the 1st place in terms of total trade with Turkey, ahead of Germany. Russian exports are dominated by energy carriers (about 70%), metals and products made from them (20%), while imports from Turkey are dominated by machinery, equipment and vehicles (over 30%), consumer goods (13-15%) and food (15-20%).

Turkish companies continue to have a strong presence in the Russian contract services market, where about 150 Turkish construction companies currently operate. Many of them intend to take an active part in tenders for the construction of Olympic facilities in Sochi. This topic is separately recorded in the Moscow Declaration.

Turkish experts especially point to the readiness of Turkey - a NATO country and an EU candidate-to abandon settlements in dollars with its largest trading partner, Russia. Discussion of the issue of switching to national currencies in mutual settlements will continue at the zain level-

relevant departments of the two countries. It is noteworthy that the Chairman of the Russian-Turkish business Council, John. Kozlu called this proposal rational ¹². The Turkish leadership is considering the creation of an appropriate legal framework.

Russia and Turkey, noting the dynamic development of relations in the transport sector, agreed to further expand them. In particular, work has been completed on the preparation of an intergovernmental agreement on mixed rail and ferry services between the ports of Kavkaz (Russia) and Samsun (Turkey). Undoubtedly, this and similar projects will contribute to further mutually beneficial integration of the two countries ' transport systems. In addition, a number of bilateral documents on air and sea transport will be prepared for signing.

With such a large volume of Russian-Turkish relations, problems may arise in them. We are talking, in particular, about disagreements in the customs sphere. The Turks call them nothing less than "gangrene" in bilateral trade relations. It is important that the Russian capital has agreed to set up a technical commission that will resolve existing disagreements in a short time.

The parties could not help but touch upon the issue of Russian-Turkish cooperation in the military-technical sphere. This is a very important area in our bilateral relations. After all, Turkey for Russia is a large market for the sale of its weapons, and Russia for Turkey is a profitable supplier of these weapons, a source of exclusive military technologies that the West does not possess. Moscow and Ankara, despite some difficulties, understand this.

That is why the Moscow Declaration states that the parties attach particular importance to ensuring the effective work of the Joint Intergovernmental Russian-Turkish Commission for Cooperation in the Military-Technical Sphere and in the defense industry. Moscow and Ankara noted that reaching agreements on pending issues of military-technical cooperation between the two countries will open up opportunities for broader cooperation in this area.

Russia already has both positive and negative experience in the Turkish arms market. Thus, the victory of the Russian company Rosoboronexport in the tender for the supply of anti-tank systems and missiles to the Turkish armed forces indicates that Russia is considered by Turkey as a profitable alternative supplier of weapons, the main guarantor of diversification of sources of weapons and military equipment in the event of another pressure from Western allies in case of contradictions on regional problems.

BLUE STREAM IS JUST THE BEGINNING...

Energy is the core of trade and economic relations between the two countries. During the Moscow summit, the parties confirmed their readiness to implement extensive plans in the gas sector, as set out in the memorandum between Gazprom and the largest Turkish company Botash. First of all, we are talking about increasing the capacity of the Blue Stream with its subsequent extension in the southern direction. In 2008, Russia supplied Turkey with 23.8 billion cubic meters of gas and met the Turkish side's needs for" blue fuel " by 67%. In 2009, Russian supplies are expected to grow to 25.5 billion rubles. Commenting on these figures, Turkish experts once again did not fail to emphasize that Blue Stream consistently supplies the Turkish economy with gas and has never failed Turkish consumers in terms of volumes and timing of deliveries, and during the so-called Russian-Ukrainian gas crisis, it saved the Turkish economy ¹³.

During the talks, the Presidents of the two countries were also optimistic about the successful acquisition of the Turkish company Akpet by the Russian oil holding LUKOIL shortly before their meeting in Moscow, whose assets include about 700 gas stations throughout Turkey, a plant for the production and packaging of motor oils, and a number of other facilities. The transaction amount exceeds $ 500 million. LUKOIL's long-term plans include additional investments of $ 400 million in the Turkish energy market by 2019 and a ¹⁰% share in the local oil products market14.

These figures give Turkish economists reason to say with enthusiasm that, despite the global recession, the pace of mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation in the energy sector is increasing and getting material content. According to local experts, this indicates an increase in the level of mutual trust.

The absolutely transparent acquisition of Akpet, they believe, shows that Russia intends to firmly gain a foothold in the Turkish market as a reliable and open partner in the process of privatizing domestic energy distribution networks in Turkey. In addition, the Turkish side pays special attention to the fact that LUKOIL, together with Gazprom, will deliver gas to Turkey and jointly participate in its distribution on the domestic market. An agreement on this is already in place. Such coordination between the two Russian companies in the Turkish market is extremely important for both Russia and Turkey.

It is also noteworthy that LUKOIL's activities are supported not only by the Turkish business community, but also by local authorities. They understand that the mentioned LUKOIL projects represent a powerful entry of large Russian capital into the Turkish market, which will significantly increase the total volume of Russian investments in the Turkish sector.

Cooperation between the two countries in the field of nuclear energy may become a new breakthrough moment on the trade and economic track. At the talks in Moscow, both sides supported this direction. The final result of the tender for the construction of the first nuclear power plant in Turkey has not yet been announced. However, and this is important, the Turkish Atomic Energy Agency (TAEK) called the proposal of the only bidder - the Russian-Turkish consortium consisting of the Russian companies Atomstroyexport and Inter RAO UES, as well as the Turkish company Park Teknik, meeting the technological criteria, as well as the IAEA standards.

Representatives of the Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources interviewed by the author state with satisfaction that Russia has already taken a number of important and confident steps to consolidate its position in the Turkish nuclear energy sector. To date, the third, so-called price envelope has also been opened. The Turkish side described the price included in it as inflated. Moscow has corrected this position.

After discussing and agreeing on the price (the process can last from 6 to 18 months) all conditions will be analyzed once again by the Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, and only after that the proposals agreed in all departments will be submitted to the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkey, which will make the final decision.

Independent experts emphasize that Moscow and Ankara, based on their national economic interests, were able to significantly overcome such an important barrier as the opposition of Washington, which, guided by selfish geopolitical interests, categorically opposes Russia's entry into the Turkish nuclear energy market.

One way or another, the opinion of the head of the Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies (TURKSAM), which is authoritative in Turkey, S. Ogan, is symptomatic that the partnership between Russia and Turkey in the energy sector already fully deserves the definition of "strategic"¹⁵.

NEGOTIATIONS IN KAZAN

In a conversation between A. Gul and the head of the Council of Muftis of Russia R. Gainutdin, the importance of further development of cooperation between the two countries in the field of religious activities and education was confirmed.

Issues of interreligious dialogue were discussed, but more so within the framework of the cultural program, and in Kazan, which, as noted above, the Turkish president visited for the first time in the history of Russian-Turkish interstate relations during his visit to Russia.

It is interesting that this event is commented on in Turkey as evidence of growing trust in relations between Russia and Turkey. So, the chairman of TURKSAM S. Ogan notes that if earlier Moscow viewed Turkey as a hotbed of pan-Turkism and pan-Turianism ideas and was wary of any contacts between Turks and their Turkic-speaking subjects, now, as sincere dialogue strengthens, such suspicions are dispelled.¹⁶ In particular, A. Gul himself spoke about this in conversations with Turkish journalists who accompanied him, emphasizing that "Russia itself offered us to visit Kazan" ¹⁷.

A. Gul held talks with the President of the Republic of Tatarstan M. Shaimiev. He was awarded the title of Honorary Doctor of Kazan State University. The practical result of A. Gul's trip to Kazan was the signing of three agreements on the establishment of joint ventures in the Republic of Tatarstan by Turkish companies following the results of the Tatarstan-Turkish business forum. The total amount of investment in the implementation of these agreements will amount to more than $ 250 million. ¹⁸ A. Gul also shared with Turkish journalists the idea of cooperation with specialists working in Kazan in creating the first domestic Turkish helicopter (the corresponding work is being carried out at Istanbul Technical University, the cost of the project with the code name "Arykopter", according to preliminary data, will be about $ 50 million)¹⁹.

* * *

An analysis of the agreements reached during the Moscow summit makes it possible to conclude that Russian-Turkish relations are one of the priorities of the foreign policy of Russia and Turkey, which consider each other as good neighbors and important partners in regional and international affairs. Commenting on the visit, experts from one of Turkey's oldest publications, the Jumhuriyet newspaper, point out that the rapidly strengthening Russian-Turkish relations cause irritation in Washington, which, it is possible, will in every possible way "put a spoke in the wheels" of both countries in order to disrupt their progressive movement towards strategic partnership. The newspaper also believes that all political forces in Turkey should be interested in rapprochement with Russia.²⁰

In short, Russia and Turkey are two important Eurasian states whose coordinated actions within the framework of a comprehensive multi - faceted partnership can ensure stability and security in a number of regions and resolve complex international problems. The development of the situation in the world and the practice of relations between Russia and Turkey over the past seven years confirm the need to further strengthen trust and deepen cooperation between Moscow and Ankara. The state visit of Turkish President Ahmet Gul to Russia was an important step in this direction.

A. L. KORITSKY, our sobkor in Turkey

¹ Zaman, 14.02.2009.

^{Dumanli E.} 2 Rusya lie Yeni Bir Sayfa // Zaman, 14.02.2009.

³ Hereafter, the text of the Declaration is quoted from: official website of the President of Russia - www.kremlin.ru/text/docs/2009/ 02/212886. shtml

⁴ Milliyet, 14.02.2009.

⁵ Statement by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to the press on the results of the Russian-Turkish talks. Moscow, February 13, 2009 / / Official website of the President of Russia - www.kremlin.ru/appears/2009/02/13/1640_type63377type63380_J12 876. shtml

⁶ Aksam, 14.02.2009.

^{Kucukkaya I.} 7 Milli Mucadele Ruhuna Atif // Aksam, 14.02.2009.

⁸ ITAR-TASS, 12.02.2009.

⁹ NTV, broadcast on 14.02.2009.

¹⁰ Opening remarks by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev at the expanded Russian-Turkish talks. Moscow, February 13, 2009 / / Official website of the President of Russia - www.kremlin.ru/appe-ars/2009/02/13/1504_type63377_212874.shtml

^{Berkan I.} 11 Rusya'dan Sevgilerle... // Radikal, 14.02.2009.

¹² Referans, 18.02.2009.

^{Koritsky A. A.} 13 President of Turkey: a new page has been opened in relations with Russia / / RGRK "Voice of Russia", broadcast 16.02.2009.

¹⁴ Speech by V. Alekperov, President of LUKOIL, at a press conference. Istanbul, February 4, 2009

¹⁵ S. Ogan's speech at the round table "Partnership between Russia and Turkey in the energy sector" in TURKSAM. Ankara, January 28, 2009

^{www.turksam.org/tr/al} 16584.html

¹⁷ Zaman, 16.02.2009.

¹⁸ Yeni Safak, 16.02.2009.

^{Kucukkaya I.} 19 Turk Helikopteri kin Tatar Ortakligi // Aksam, 16.02.2009.

²⁰ Cumhuriyet, 13.02.2009.

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