Turkey and Russia announce agreement on pipeline, offer hope over Aleppo aid

Russian President Vladimir Putin, and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, met Monday in Istanbul. Following the meeting Putin told a press conference

Both Turkey and Russia side with stopping the bloodshed in Syria quickly. We want a political solution in Syria in the quickest way as well

Also suggesting

We have a common position that everything must be done to deliver humanitarian aid to Aleppo. The only issue is … ensuring the safety of aid delivery

In addition the two leaders also announced an agreement over Russian gas exports to Turkey. The ‘Turkish Stream’ project is intended to transport 15.75 billion cubic meters to satisfy the Turkish market as well as provide for a second pipeline to Europe.

However previous negotiations over the pipeline stalled when, in 2015, the Turkish military shot down a Russian jet, which had violated Turkish airspace over the Turkey-Syria border.

According to Gazprom – the Russian State-owned energy company – construction could begin on the project by the end of 2017 and finish in 2019. Turkey is the second biggest consumer of Russian gas exports.

The Russian president also announced the loosening of export restrictions for Turkish goods, which had been tightened following the jet-crisis.

Today, the Russian government took a decision. We are reopening many restricted Turkish exports. We will take especially citrus fruits and other fresh fruit, and vegetables and agricultural products to the Russian market. It is a decision based on mutual advantage … Because Russian agricultural sector does not produce these types of products. When these products will be exported from Turkey to Russia, our prices will go down

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – OCTOBER 10: President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and President of Russia Vladimir Putin (L) walk to hold a press conference following their meeting at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on October 10, 2016. ( Metin Pala – Anadolu Agency )

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – OCTOBER 10: President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and President of Russia Vladimir Putin (L) walk to hold a press conference following their meeting at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on October 10, 2016. ( Metin Pala – Anadolu Agency )

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – OCTOBER 10: President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and President of Russia Vladimir Putin (L) walk to hold a press conference following their meeting at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on October 10, 2016. ( Metin Pala – Anadolu Agency )

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – OCTOBER 10: President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and President of Russia Vladimir Putin (L) walk to hold a press conference following their meeting at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on October 10, 2016. ( Metin Pala – Anadolu Agency )

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – OCTOBER 10: President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and President of Russia Vladimir Putin (L) hold a press conference following their meeting at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on October 10, 2016. ( Metin Pala – Anadolu Agency )

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – OCTOBER 10: Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Berat Albayrak (R) and Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak (L) sign Turkish Stream agreement as President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (2nd R) and President of Russia Vladimir Putin (3rd L) look on during their press conference at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on October 10, 2016. ( Metin Pala – Anadolu Agency )

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – OCTOBER 10: Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Berat Albayrak (R) and Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak (L) shake hand after signing Turkish Stream agreement as during a press conference at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on October 10, 2016. ( Metin Pala – Anadolu Agency )

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – OCTOBER 10: Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Berat Albayrak (R) and Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak (L) shake hand after signing Turkish Stream agreement as during a press conference at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on October 10, 2016. ( Metin Pala – Anadolu Agency )

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – OCTOBER 10: President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and President of Russia Vladimir Putin (L) hold a press conference following their meeting at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on October 10, 2016. ( Metin Pala – Anadolu Agency )

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – OCTOBER 10: President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and President of Russia Vladimir Putin (L) hold a press conference following their meeting at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on October 10, 2016. ( Metin Pala – Anadolu Agency )

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – OCTOBER 10: President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and President of Russia Vladimir Putin (L) hold a press conference following their meeting at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on October 10, 2016. ( Metin Pala – Anadolu Agency )

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – OCTOBER 10: President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and President of Russia Vladimir Putin (L) hold a press conference following their meeting at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on October 10, 2016. ( Metin Pala – Anadolu Agency )

President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and President of Russia Vladimir Putin (L) hold a press conference following their meeting at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on October 10, 2016. ( Metin Pala – Anadolu Agency )

President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and President of Russia Vladimir Putin (L) shake hands during a press conference following their meeting at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on 10 October 2016 [Metin Pala/Anadolu Agency]

President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and President of Russia Vladimir Putin (L) shake hands during a press conference following their meeting at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on October 10, 2016. (Metin Pala – Anadolu Agency)

Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Berat Albayrak (R) and CEO of Russian energy company Gazprom, Alexey Miller during a press conference at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on October 10, 2016 [Metin Pala / Anadolu Agency]

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – OCTOBER 10: Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Berat Albayrak (R) and CEO of Russian energy company Gazprom, Alexey Miller during a press conference at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on October 10, 2016. ( Metin Pala – Anadolu Agency )

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – OCTOBER 10: President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and President of Russia Vladimir Putin (L) shake hands during a press conference following their meeting at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on October 10, 2016. ( Metin Pala – Anadolu Agency )

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – OCTOBER 10: President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) waves to President of Russia Vladimir Putin (R) as Russian President leaves after their press conference at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on October 10, 2016. ( Kayhan Özer – Anadolu Agency )

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – OCTOBER 10: President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) speaks to President of Russia Vladimir Putin (L) as Russian President prepare to leave after their press conference at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on October 10, 2016. ( Kayhan Özer – Anadolu Agency )

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – OCTOBER 10: President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) speaks to President of Russia Vladimir Putin (L) after their press conference at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on October 10, 2016. ( Kayhan Özer – Anadolu Agency )

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – OCTOBER 10: President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and President of Russia Vladimir Putin (L) walk to hold a press conference following their meeting at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on October 10, 2016. ( Kayhan Özer – Anadolu Agency )

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – OCTOBER 10: President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) and President of Russia Vladimir Putin (R) walk to hold a press conference as journalist take photos following their meeting at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on October 10, 2016. ( Kayhan Özer – Anadolu Agency )

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – OCTOBER 10: President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) and President of Russia Vladimir Putin (R) walk to hold a press conference as journalist take photos following their meeting at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on October 10, 2016. ( Kayhan Özer – Anadolu Agency )

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – OCTOBER 10: President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and President of Russia Vladimir Putin (L) hold a press conference following their meeting at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on October 10, 2016. ( Kayhan Özer – Anadolu Agency )

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – OCTOBER 10: Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Berat Albayrak (R) and Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak (L) sign Turkish Stream agreement as President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and President of Russia Vladimir Putin look on during their press conference at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on October 10, 2016. ( Kayhan Özer – Anadolu Agency )

The new Turkish Finance Minister Berat Albayrak (R) and Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak (L) shake hand after signing Turkish Stream agreement as during a press conference at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on October 10, 2016. ( Kayhan Özer – Anadolu Agency )

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – OCTOBER 10: President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) speaks to President of Russia Vladimir Putin (L) after their press conference at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on October 10, 2016. ( Kayhan Özer – Anadolu Agency )

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – OCTOBER 10: President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) waves to President of Russia Vladimir Putin (R) as Russian President leaves after their press conference at Mabeyn Palace in Istanbul, Turkey on October 10, 2016. ( Kayhan Özer – Anadolu Agency )