Erdogan to travel to Russia

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to travel to Moscow on July 18 for a one-day working visit. Reportedly, the visit for the first time has been brought to agenda in a phone conversation between Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 27. The crisis in Syria, as well as regional and international affairs will dominate Erdogan's agenda during his talks with Putin and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev. Erdogan also phoned Putin yesterday to extend his condolences for victims of the recent flood disaster in Russia. Russia has been under international pressure to exert influence over Assad's government to make it adopt UN envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan.