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Expert of Turkish studies Artak Shakaryan is convinced that Russia-Turkey relations are of economic nature mainly. “The meetings with Russian authorities appear in the economic section of the Turkish media. This is a significant index. Turks themselves accept these relations not as strategic, political, but as economic ones,” Shakaryan told reporters today.

According to him, Turkey started showing interest in Russia over construction of a nuclear power station near the Mediterranean Sea, a plant Turkey has been trying to build for 40 years already.

"Turkey seems to be more consistent over the nuclear station on Iranian nuclear background, and Russia has already reached preliminary agreements,” the expert said.

According to him, Karabakh issue will be raised during this meeting as well, referring to Putin's visit to Istanbul today. Shakaryan reminded Vladimir Putin’s statement that Armenian-Turkish normalization and Nagorno-Karabakh settlement are not linked. “I think, it’s among Russia’s strategic interests that Turkey can’t bargain the two issues, interconnect them,” Putin said.

It’s clear for Shakaryan that “US-backed football diplomacy sank in April while Russians say “sacred place doesn’t remain empty”, as Americans have withdrawn from Armenia-Turkey relations, Russians, naturally, are trying to fill the gap with their activity.”

Remind that Putin is in Istanbul to attend the conference on "Cooperation in Asia and Confidence-Building Measures".