MOSCOW, May 15. /TASS/. Russia maintains dialogue with Turkey via special channels, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a news briefing, commenting on purported preparations for a coup d’etat in Turkey.

Late on Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc and Ibrahim Kalin, director of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization. According to the Dunya newspaper, the meeting came amid statements by Devlet Bahceli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party, about a potential coup d’etat brewing in the country. One reporter asked Zakharova whether Moscow would help Ankara out as it did during the 2016 coup.

"Since you reminded me about that incident, I will also reiterate that back then, it was not done publicly; we didn’t shout about it to make ourselves look good or show off but did so constructively along appropriate channels. And we have historically maintained such dialogue with our Turkish colleagues," the diplomat answered.

Zakharova did not comment as to who may be behind the coup attempt. "If there is any additional information, I will share it with you," she added.

Attempted coup d’etat in Turkey

On July 15, 2016, a group of Turkish military and civilians attempted to stage a coup d’etat and overthrow the legitimate government and Erdogan. As a result of a two-day standoff, 252 people were killed in clashes in Istanbul and Ankara, and 2,200 were injured. Ankara accuses the Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) of staging the coup, with its leader Fethullah Gulen, who currently resides in the US, being considered the prime suspect in setting these events in motion.