ISTANBUL, August 19. /TASS/. The preparation of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Istanbul continues, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main advisor Akif Cagatay Kilic told CNN Turk.

"The work in this direction continues at this moment. Russia is working on the schedule due to the internal situation; negotiations about the visit’s date are underway. We hold them," Kilic said, answering a question about Putin’s potential visit to Turkey.

On August 16, the Shot Telegram channel claimed citing its sources that Putin and Erdogan may meet on August 31, without specifying the location. On August 3, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov specified that the location and the exact date of the meeting between the two presidents will be negotiated via diplomatic channels. One day earlier, Peskov stated that "the location will be discussed, and it does not necessarily have to be Turkey."