Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to Istanbul Jan. 8. Putin’s visit is officially dedicated to the launch of the TurkStream natural gas pipeline, which extends from Russia to Turkey, but Putin will also discuss with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan bilateral economic and military cooperation, as well as Syria and Libya.

Al-Monitor previously reported that Moscow and Ankara were considering a potential deal over Libya, according to sources in the Russian Foreign and Defense ministries. The deal would likely replicate the “Astana model,” which Turkey, Russia and Iran applied to the settlement in Syria. The goal for both Moscow and Ankara is to minimize the influence of other regional — and especially nonregional — powers, and establish themselves as principal kingmakers in the Libyan conflict. This would satisfy their ambitions to claim a new power-center status in the Middle East and North Africa.

The “Syrian model” goes beyond the Astana process, although, in the case of Libya, replicating the same framework will likely be central to Russian-Turkish efforts in the coming months.

Moscow has earned significant foreign policy benefits with its military campaign in Syria. One of its most important achievements is arguably how the Kremlin changed the perception of itself: Once seen — and rightly so — as a party to the conflict, Russia is now accepted as the conflict's mediator — one who can strike compromises and impose political decisions toward a peace process.