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Russia’s Altai should be marked as center of Turkic world on Erdogan’s map — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov added that "Turkish partners are cherishing the idea of Turkic unity"

MOSCOW, November 21. /TASS/. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday that the map of the Turkic world presented to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan should mark with a red star Russia’s Altai as its center rather than Turkey itself.

"Our Turkish partners are cherishing the idea of Turkic unity, and it is normal. But the only thing I regret is that this map doesn’t have a big red star in the center of the Turkic world. And this center is located not in Turkey but on Russia’s territory, in the Altai," he said in an interview with the Moscow. Kremlin. Putin program on the Rossiya-1 television channel.

The Altai "is a sacred place for any Turk, because it is where they originated from. You can take it from me as a Turkologist," he added.

Earlier this week, leader of Turkey's Nationalist Movement Party Devlet Bahceli presented Erdogan with a map of the Turkic world, which included Russia’s southern regions and the bulk of Siberia, including the Altai.