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Putin satisfied with Turkish stance on Chechnya
Russia is satisfied with the changing Turkish attitude towards secessionists in Chechnya and believes it will improve further, President Vladimir Putin said in an interview published on Wednesday on the eve of an official visit to Ankara. In the past, the Russian authorities have accused Ankara of turning a blind eye to the alleged presence on Turkish soil of Chechen rebels and of failing to prevent its citizens from joining the secessionists' ranks. But Putin, the first Russian leader to visit Turkey in 32 years, said in a statement published by several Turkish newspapers: "We are satisfied with Turkey's position on the Chechen question." He added that he looked forward to further improvements in cooperation between the two governments, saying: "We believe we can achieve better results." Turkey, an overwhelmingly Muslim nation with a secular system of government, has a policy of non-interference in Chechnya but the secessionist cause has many sympathisers among Turks. IIRC, this is as much due to ethnicity as it is to religion. Keep in mind that at least some of the cadres that perpetrated the Istanbul bombings had fought under Gelayev at one point in Chechnya. Putin is due in Ankara on Thursday and is scheduled to sign several cooperation agreements the following day with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Posted by: Dan Darling 2004-09-01 |
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