Erdogan Says that Russian-Turkish Relations are No Alternative to Ties with NATO

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan reported on Tuesday that ties between Ankara and Moscow are not an alternative to relations with other allies. The Turkish leader made this point during a news conference in Ankara ahead of departing to London for the imminent NATO summit set to be held on December 3-4, TASS reports.

"Russia remains one of Turkey’s main partners. However, our relations with Russia are not an alternative to ties with other allies, but, on the contrary, they supplement [each other]," Erdogan noted.

The Turkish president pointed out that Russia is an important player on the global political stage. "The summit is going to focus on relations [of NATO members] with Russia and China. We support productive cooperation with China, which we also consider to be a rising power. Russia is one of the main players in our region and on the global stage," he added.