MOSCOW, August 24. /TASS/. Relations between Russia and Turkey are taking on an increasingly more profound and substantive character in the economy and in foreign policy likewise, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday as he received in the Kremlin the Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, and Defense Minister Hulusi Akar.

The head of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization, Hakan Fidan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, and the Russian President’s special envoy for Syrian peace settlement, Alexander Lavrentyev, attended the meeting.

"Our relations with Turkey are getting increasingly more profound and substantive," Putin said, calling attention to his regular contacts with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

He also pointed out "[…] the deepening cooperation in the economy, in a number of spheres related to regional problems", as well as in the settling of acute regional situations like the crisis in and around Syria.

Russia, Turkey and other countries concerned have made considerable progress towards settling the Syrian crisis, he added. 

"Our relations with Turkey are getting ever deeper and meaningful," Putin said. He drew attention to his regular contacts with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and noted "ever deeper cooperation in the sphere of economic interaction and the settlement of a number of issues related with regional problems," such as acute issues as the situation in Syria.

"Efforts by our countries and the participation of other countries concerned (in particular, I am referring to Iran and our cooperation with the United Nations, the European countries and the United States) we have managed to make great progress towards a settlement of the Syrian crisis," Putin said. He suggested discussing what steps should be taken in the short and medium term to deepen Russian-Turkish relations.

For his part Cavusoglu described Russian-Turkish relations at the presidential level as very good, adding that his promoted contacts at the ministerial level. He reviewed Russian-Turkish negotiations held in Moscow on Friday.

"All issues of cooperation were discussed. This is very important for us. Not only for our countries but in regional terms, too," he said, adding that Turkey had handed its proposals to Russia.