MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday noted his Turkish counterpart Recet Tayyip Erdogan’s firm position on the gas contract with Russia in the face of the West pressure.

Answering a question of the West’s request for Turkey to join sanctions against Russia, Putin said he proposed Ergodan at the Russian-Turkish talks on the expansion of gas cooperation: “Let’s not do it”.

“But he (Erdogan) is a strong man. He said: ‘No. We will’. This is the choice of our Turkish partners,” Putin said.

“Our issues coincide in many regional issues. They can’t be resolved without Turkey’s participation,” he said pointing to Russia’s strive for developing relations with Turkey.