Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accepted an invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin to spend time at his summer house in Sochi, on the shores of the Black Sea. Erdogan will have an "informal summit" with the Russian leader between July 17-18, marking the first time that Russian-Turkish relations have spread outside the usual protocol-laden arrangements surrounding such events. The one hour flight from Ankara to Sochi will have Erdogan eating dinner with Putin at the Russian leader's summer retreat, "Bocharov Rushei" on the evening of July 17.

The talks between Putin and Erdogan are expected to focus on the growing economic and political closeness between Russia and Turkey over the last year. The recent crisis over the vegetable and fruit ban put on Turkish imports by Russia is not expected to cloud the talks, especially as the crisis was ended in only one month by close work on the part of Russian and Turkish state ministers. In addition to recent regional political developments, Putin and Erdogan will most likely focus on the energy sector as well as investments in eachothers' countries.