Kremlin Rebuffs Turkish Opposition Claims Of Election Interference

Comments from Kremlin spox Dmitri Peskov hitting wires. Following accusations from the main opposition candidate in Turkey's presidential election accusing Russia of interference in the vote, Peskov states that he "Doesn't know what prompted such an assertion", and that "Anyone who passed on such claims to [Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu] are liars".

• Kılıçdaroğlu stated that “If you want the continuation of our friendship after 15 May, get your hands off the Turkish state...We are still in favour of cooperation and friendship.”
• Russia's relationship with the incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan seen as geostrategically important to the Kremlin, although Peskov states that a "...potential conversation between Erdoğan and Putin won't help get a deal on grain". This comes after talks in Istanbul between Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and the UN on the Black Sea Grain Initiative that could expire on 18 May.
• On the upcoming visit of a Chinese envoy for Eurasian Affairs to Russia, Ukraine, Poland, France, and Germany, Peskov states only that the "details are being worked through with Beijing."