Turkey-Russia relationscurrent issues, food for thought, background informationFor centuries, Turkey and Russia have been rivals for regional supremacy. In the past decade, the two countries have developed friendly relations with strong economical ties. Both countries are showing interest in co-operation in economic, regional and global issues. Today the major economic and trade ties between the two countries have become the backbone of their relations. Trade between the two increased from $10 to 15 billion in 2005 and is expected to reach $25 billion in 2007. The two countries consider it their strategic goal to achieve "multidimensional co-operation", especially in the fields of energy, transport and the military. Specifically, Russia aims to invest in Turkey’s fuel and energy industries, and it also expects to participate in tenders for the modernisation of Turkey’s military. In the strategic energy sector, the two countries are in agreement to implement large-scale projects, some of which compare with the Blue Stream gas pipeline, which was officially inaugurated in November 2005. |
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