MOSCOW, February 26. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has extended his warm congratulations to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the occasion of the latter’s 70th birthday in a telephone conversation, the Kremlin press office announced in a statement on Monday.

Putin pointed out the high-level authority that Erdogan enjoys both domestically in Turkey and internationally, as well as his "many years of government service for the benefit of the Turkish people and, in particular, Turkey's enhanced position in the international arena," according to the press office.

"Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s considerable contribution to the development of friendly Russian-Turkish relations was also outlined during the conversation," the statement added.

The presidents affirmed their mutual determination to further develop comprehensive cooperation between Russia and Turkey and agreed to maintain bilateral contacts at all levels.

The Russian and Turkish leaders previously held a telephone conversation in October 2023, during which the presidents focused on developments in the Middle East, particularly the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the region.

Erdogan, who has served as president of Turkey since August 2014, is celebrating his 70th birthday on Monday and, according to previous reports, no special celebrations have been planned to mark the occasion.