The meeting could take place after the two leaders spoke on the telephone, when they discussed the situation in Ukraine and how to facilitate grain exports from the country, the Kremlin said on Monday.
Turkey has sought to play a mediating role between Russia and Ukraine since Putin ordered troops into the country on Feb. 24. Turkey’s stance vis-à-vis Russia – it has declined to impose sanctions on its government or businessmen – is out of step with many NATO allies who have imposed punitive measures following the invasion.
"An exchange of views on the situation around Ukraine continued, including in the context of coordinating efforts to ensure the safety of navigation in the Black Sea and grain exports to global markets," the Kremlin said, according to Reuters.
Erdogan would be the first political leader in NATO to meet with Putin since the war in Ukraine began, putting him potentially out of step with his counterparts in the military alliance.
The Russian government said that Putin and Erdogan also discussed Syria, where both countries station troops. It said they both stressed the importance of meetings with Iran, which is also involved militarily in Syria, under the Astana peace framework.
The United States has imposed sanctions on Turkey's defence procurement agency after it purchased Russia S-400 air defence missiles in 2019. The Turkish government has called on Washington to act like an ally and lift the sanctions, which are also preventing it from upgrading its air force with American hardware.
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