Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Photo: EPA/TOLGA BOZOGLU)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to dictator Vladimir Putin and congratulated him on his "victory" in the sham "elections" in Russia, reported the office of the Turkish leader.

During the dialogue, Erdogan said he believed in "a positive course in Turkish-Russian relations in the new period."

Ankara reiterated that Turkey "is ready to play any mediating role in returning to the negotiating table in Ukraine."

Earlier, Putin was greeted by the dictators of China and North Korea, Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un, as well as the president of Iran, Ibrahim Raisi.

Most European countries called the "elections" in the Russian Federation rigged.

On March 17, 2022, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu held talks in Turkey, as a result of which it became known that Turkey is ready to consider the possibility of becoming a guarantor of Ukraine's security in the future.

On March 29 of the same year, negotiations between representatives of Ukraine and Russia regarding a large-scale war took place in Turkey. They were opened by the President of Turkey.

On March 8, 2024, Erdogan said that he was ready to host a peace summit regarding the war in Ukraine, but Istanbul wanted to invite Moscow's representatives to it.