ANKARA: Russians see Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a key element of stability not only for Ankara but also for the region, thus they support the constitutional changes that will usher Turkey into a presidential system.
This was revealed by senior Turkish columnist and journalist Ilnur Cevik after talks with officials and journalist in Moscow.
He wrote in his latest column that Russian President Vladimir Putin has carefully watched the process in Turkey as parliament voted to change the Constitution and create a presidential system.
There was apparently some confusion about the powers of the president and parliament at the initial stage, but these were sorted out and the Russians are convinced that this system will create further stability in Turkey.
The Kremlin understands that the new system in Turkey will strengthen the administrative structure of the country, properly define the powers of the president and create clear lines between the judiciary, the legislative and the administrative branch.
A Turkish media group organized a gathering of top level Russian officials closely related to Turkey, intellectuals and press people, where columnists briefed the guests on all aspects of Turkish-Russian relations and the developments in Syria and Iraq.
In Moscow there is a lot of praise for the growing cooperation between Turkey and Russia and they credit Erdogan and Putin for this positive upturn, Ilnur Cevik added.
The officials feel that the two countries have cooperated in Syria in such a positive manner that this has created an environment for a permanent ceasefire that could eventually lead to a political settlement in the country.
