Russia and Turkey will be able to agree on the status of Crimea if Moscow recognizes the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) as an independent state, Professor of Turkish University Maltepe Hasan Unal told Lenta.ru.

He called on Russia to become the leader of the movement to recognize the TRNC, since in the event of unification, Cyprus could become part of NATO, which is not in Moscow's interests.

"Russia does not need to immediately recognize the republic: it is enough not to interfere with other countries in its orbit and start direct trade with Northern Cyprus," Unal explained.

According to the expert, in this case, Turkey will abandon its statements on the recognition of Crimea as the territory of Ukraine, and local airlines will resume direct flights to the peninsula.

Such a plan may seem unrealizable due to the positions of both countries on the issues of Crimea and Cyprus, the professor noted. “But do not forget that politicians use rhetoric to then take a stronger position in the event of negotiations,” he concluded.