UPDATE - Turkish, Venezuelan presidents discuss bilateral ties in Russia

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS ABOUT MEETING

By Yasin Gungor and Merve Berker

ISTANBUL / Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday discussed bilateral ties in the Russian city of Kazan, the site of a summit of the BRICS group of countries.

During the meeting, Erdogan and Maduro spoke about bilateral relations and regional and global issues, Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said in a statement.

Erdogan told his Venezuelan counterpart that relations between the two countries have improved in many spheres in recent years, and Ankara will keep taking steps to advance cooperation further, the statement added.

Touching on the ongoing Israeli onslaught in Gaza and Lebanon, Erdogan said the continuous expansion of Israel's aggression threatens the peace and security of not only the Middle East but the entire world.

Erdogan urged the international community to undertake “urgent and robust actions to stop Israel.”

Key Turkish senior officials, including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, and Trade Minister Omer Bolat, were also present at the meeting.

Erdogan's visit to Kazan – as a guest of the BRICS group – also includes a planned meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the summit, set for later in the day.

The Turkish president earlier said Ankara “sincerely” wants to improve its cooperation with the BRICS group.

The three-day summit, which began on Tuesday, will continue until Thursday.

The summit includes longtime members Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – the source of the group’s name – along with recent additions Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates.

Hosted by Russia, which assumed the rotating presidency of the group this year, it is the first time the bloc has convened since the addition of new members.

The summit has drawn representatives from 32 countries, including 24 state leaders, according to the Kremlin.