"My friend Vladimir," Erdogan gets comfy with Putin, slams EU

ANKARA (News Desk) - In a bid to normalise ties with Russia following the unpleasant downing of a warplane on the Syrian border, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to reach Moscow on Tuesday on a crucial official visit.

According to media reports, Erdogan will hold direct talks with President Vladimir Putin which is expected to result in an announcement to lift all travel and economic sanctions against Turkey by Russia.

In an interview with Russian news agency TASS, just a day before the visit, Erdogan extended his hope that the meeting with Putin will "open up a new page in relations between the two countries."

He went on to say that Turkey and Russia have a lot to do together, adding: "I believe talks with my friend Vladimir will mark a new beginning of bilateral relations."

Commenting on the Russian role in the resolution of the Syrian crisis, the Turkish president said that it would be impossible to find a solution without Russian participation.

Responding to a question about Turkey's ties with the European Union, Erdogan said that the EU has been playing with his country for over 53 years while Turkey is consistently honest and expects the EU to be the same.

Meanwhile, Turkish Ambassador to Russia, Umit Yardim, has also said that the visit will be an important development in the process to improve ties between the two countries, adding that both countries have been preparing for an Erdogan-Putin meeting for over a month.