Turkey Confirms Imminent Putin Visit, Without Specifying Date

Russian President Vladimir Putin (file photo)

Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Hakan Fidan on February 4 confirmed an imminent visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin, without announcing an exact date. "This visit will provide us the opportunity to discuss numerous issues," the minister told state television. Local media have mentioned February 12 as a likely date, but President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s office hasn't confirmed it. Turkey -- which would be the first NATO member that Putin has visited since the February 2022 start of his full-scale invasion of Ukraine -- last month finally approved Sweden's entry into the Atlantic alliance.