PM Yıldırım congratulates Russian counterpart over election victory
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev delivers a speech at the joint meeting of the supreme and general council of the United Russia Party in Moscow, Russia, 24 February 2016 (EPA Photo)


Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım on Tuesday called and congratulated his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev on his party's victory in Sunday's parliamentary elections, a prime ministry source said.

Yıldırım reiterated the Turkish government's appreciation of Russian support and solidarity after the deadly July 15 coup attempt, the source said on the condition of anonymity.

Medvedev welcomed Yıldırım's phone call and said maintaining mutual steps to normalize relations between Turkey and Russia is important.

The two prime ministers agreed to carry on dialogue and contact between their countries, especially on the Syrian crisis and other regional issues, the source said.

President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party won Sunday's parliamentary elections, having garnered 54.2 percent of the votes.

The Communist Party came second with 13.3 percent, while the Liberal Democratic Party came third at 13.1, followed by the Fair Russia Party, which got 6.2 percent of the votes.

United Russia - chaired by Medvedev - will have 343 seats in the State Duma, Russia's 450-seat lower house of parliament.