Putin, Erdogan agree on steps to mend relations

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan saidafter talkswith Russia's President Vladimir Putin that the two nations can rebuild their damaged ties and make them even closer.

Calling Putin his "dear friend," Erdogan said after the meeting inSt. Petersburg thatTurkey is ready to implement a natural gas pipeline project with Russia and a deal to build Turkey's first nuclear power plant.

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Putin, in his turn, said that the flow of Russian tourists to Turkey, halted after the downing of a Russian warplaneby Turkey in November, will resume.

Putin added that he and Erdogan will have a separate discussion on Syria later Tuesday, involving top military and intelligence officials, to search for common ground in the crisis in which Moscow and Ankara have backed opposing sides.

Erdogan's trip to Russia comes as Turkey's relations with Europe and the United States are strained by what Ankara sees as Western concern over the coup attempt, duringwhich more than 240 people were killed.

Thereis a serious anti-American feeling in Turkey.BekirBozdag, Turkish justice minister

But relations with Moscow also soured recently, most notablyafter Turkey shot down Russia'sfighter jet.

Erdogan apologized in June, setting the stage for today's meeting, which is hisfirst foreign visit since last month's attempted coup.

Putin has also sought tomendthe rift with Turkey in the hopes of reviving key economic projects, including the much-touted pipeline, and expanding Russia's clout in Syria.

Putin said Moscow would gradually phase out sanctions against Ankara, imposed after the Turks shot down a Russianfighter jet near the Syrian border nine months ago, and thatbringing ties to their pre-crisis level was the priority.

"Do we want a full-spectre restoration of relations? Yes, andwe will achieve that," Putin told a joint news conference afteran initial round of talks. "Life changes quickly."

Erdoganthanked Putin twice for inviting him to Russia and said the co-operation between the two countries should benefit the entire region.

Co-operation would be increased on projects including aplanned $20-billion gas pipeline and a nuclear power plant to bebuilt in Turkey by the Russians, Erdogan said, as well asbetween their two defence sectors.

"God willing, with these steps, the Moscow-Ankara axis willagain be a line of trust and friendship," Erdogan said.

Pressure on U.S.

Erdogan has also been pressuring the U.S. to extradite Fethullah Gulen, the Muslim cleric who is alleged to have organized the coup from his home in rural Pennsylvania, where he has lived in self-imposed exile since 1999.

Washington's refusal has, according to Turkey's justice minister, stoked anti-American sentiment among Turks.

"There is a serious anti-American feeling in Turkey, and this is turning into hatred," Bekir Bozdag said Tuesday in an interview with state-run Anadolu Agency, broadcast live on Turkish television channels. "It is in the hands of the United States to stop this anti-American feeling leading to hatred."

U.S. President Barack Obama has said Ankara must first provide clear evidence of Gulen's wrongdoing. Last week, a State Department spokesman said Washington was evaluating new documents it had received.

The 75-year-old Gulen, who built up a network of schools, charities and businesses in Turkey and abroad over decades, denies any involvement in the coup and has condemned it. He has also accused Erdogan of using the coup to amass greater powers.

Authorities have suspended, detained or put underinvestigation tens of thousands of people in the armed forces,the judiciary, civil service and elsewhere since the coup, inwhich a faction of the military commandeered warplanes,helicopters and tanks in an attempt to topple the government.

Bozdag put the number of people now formallyarrested awaiting trial at 16,000, adding that a further 6,000detainees are still being processed. Another 7,668 people areunder investigation but have not been detained, he said.

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