Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirmed on February 4 the upcoming visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin, without announcing the exact date of the visit.
"This visit will give us an opportunity to discuss many issues," the minister told state broadcaster TRT Haber.
Local media have mentioned February 12 as a likely date, but President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office has not confirmed it.
Turkey, which will be the first NATO member Putin visits since his invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, last month gave final approval for Sweden to join the Atlantic alliance.
Erdogan has managed to maintain trade and political relations with both Ukraine and Russia, allowing Russia to avoid Western sanctions.
The last meeting between Putin and Erdogan was in September 2023 in Sochi, but they often speak by phone.
Fidan said energy, the Gaza war, Black Sea trade routes and Syria would be on the agenda.
The two sides are on opposite sides in Syria, with disagreements over the presence of Kurdish PKK forces in northeastern Syria.
In 2019, Ankara and Moscow reached an agreement to halt the Turkish offensive in exchange for the establishment of a 30-kilometer buffer zone between Turkish and PKK forces. Turkey has periodically accused Russia of not respecting the pact./BGNES
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