Russian President Vladimir Putin sent New Year's greetings to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday, according to a statement by the Kremlin.

While Turkey has criticized Moscow's annexation of Crimea, the two countries enjoy strong relations.

Ankara’s acquisition of the advanced S-400 Russian air defense system, prompted Washington to remove Turkey from its F-35 Lightning II jet program.

The two countries back opposing sides in Syria and Libya and have been part of the Astana talks.

Erdoğan has frequently called for a six-nation platform comprising of Turkey, Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia for permanent peace, stability and cooperation in the region, saying it would be a win-win initiative for all regional actors in the Caucasus.

Russia recently welcomed attempts to normalize Turkey-Armenia relations, saying that it would contribute to regional stability.