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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin held closed-door talks Tuesday in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, with Russian officials saying the two discussed the situation in the Black Sea and the possibility of hosting negotiations on Ukraine in Türkiye.
The roughly 90-minute meeting took place at the Ala Archa State Residence and was also attended by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and National Intelligence Organization chief Ibrahim Kalin.
It came as part of the SCO Heads of State Summit, which this year marks the organization's 25th anniversary and brought together leaders of member and partner states in the Kyrgyz capital.
Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Usakov told the newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta that the Black Sea situation dominated the discussion, saying, "As far as I know, the main topic was the situation in the Black Sea."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in comments to the newspaper Vedomosti, said the leaders also touched on the possibility of holding negotiations toward resolving the Ukraine crisis in Türkiye.
Peskov said Ankara has repeatedly floated this proposal at various levels, noting, "Yes, the Turkish side keeps offering this at different levels."
In remarks made public during the meeting, Putin described Türkiye as one of Moscow's "privileged partners" in both foreign policy and economic affairs, adding that economic cooperation between the two countries remains at a high level thanks to Erdogan's attention to the relationship.
Putin pointed to the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, being built in southern Türkiye by Russia's state nuclear company Rosatom, as a major joint project.
He said Rosatom remains on schedule to launch the plant's first unit this year, in line with a target Erdogan had set for the company. He also cited "significant potential" for deeper cultural and humanitarian cooperation and said the number of Russian tourists visiting Türkiye continues to grow, reaching close to 7 million in 2025.
Erdogan told Putin that relations between Türkiye and Russia are "genuinely at a more advanced level today than in any previous period." He said Russian visitors form the backbone of tourism in Antalya, Türkiye's southern coastal hub, calling their presence there of major importance.
On Akkuyu, Erdogan said the plant has entered its final construction phase and that both sides are now awaiting its opening, after which, he said, preparations already underway would lead to the launch of additional plants built jointly by the two countries.
He also pointed to agriculture and energy as areas of strong bilateral cooperation.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, founded in 2001, is a Eurasian political, economic and security bloc whose members include China, Russia, India, Pakistan and several Central Asian states; Türkiye holds dialogue partner status in the organization.
Following the conclusion of his engagements at the summit, Erdogan departed Bishkek. He was seen off at Manas International Airport by Kyrgyz Prime Minister Adylbek Kasymaliev and Türkiye's ambassador to Bishkek, Mekin Mustafa Kemal Okem. First Lady Emine Erdogan and other members of the Turkish delegation also left the Kyrgyz capital with the president.
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