Turkey, Russia sign gas pipeline deal

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left and Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, shake hands following the group photo at the World Energy Congress, in Istanbul, Monday, Oct. 10, 2016. Putin met Erdogan as the two push ahead with steps toward normalizing ties that were strained by Turkey’s downing of a Russian warplane near the border with Syria last year.(AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

ISTANBUL (AP) — The leaders of Turkey and Russia have overseen the signing of a deal to build a gas pipeline from Russia, a project that was suspended amid tensions between the two countries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan watched as their countries’ energy ministers sealed the “Turkish Stream” project that would bring gas from Russia to Turkey. It would then be distributed to European Union nations.

The agreement came on Monday on the sidelines of the World Energy Congress being held in Istanbul.