Turkey has called for a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war, days ahead of a likely meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Haber Turk news outlet reported.
NATO member Turkey shares a maritime border with both Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea and maintains good ties with both countries. Ankara has stepped up to mediate the conflict, over which it strongly criticized Moscow’s unprovoked invasion, but stopped short of implementing sanctions like those imposed by most members of the alliance, Ahval News said Tuesday.
"Unfortunately (both sides) have quickly moved away from diplomacy" since the talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in Istanbul in March, Haber Turk cited Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu as saying in a TV interview.
“As the Ukraine-Russian war drags on, unfortunately, the situation gets worse and more complicated," the top Turkish diplomat said. "A ceasefire must be established as soon as possible. The sooner the better," he said.
Cavusosglu’s remarks came ahead of a likely meeting between the Russian and Turkish leaders in Astana on Thursday, AFP reported, citing a Turkish official speaking on condition of anonymity.
Add new comment
Read our comment policy before posting your viewpoints