DM MONITORING
Kiev: As a country in the Black Sea vicinity, Turkey invites all parties to exercise restraint and use dialogue to bring peace to the region, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Thursday as he arrived in Kyiv to discuss tensions between Ukraine and Russia with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy after pitching Turkey as a mediator.
Speaking to reporters before leaving for Ukraine, Erdoğan said Turkey was calling on both sides to seek dialogue, adding the crisis must be resolved peacefully on the basis of international law. He reiterated Ankara’s readiness to do its part to establish an atmosphere of peace and trust in the region.
“Today, we will have our meeting with Mr. Zelenskyy. After a visit to China, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin has told us he would travel to Turkey,” he said. “Without holding these two visits, these talks, it would not be right to think about what we can do.” “God willing we will successfully overcome this problematic period between these two countries,” Erdoğan said, adding that statements from both Ukraine and Russia had so far played down the prospect of a direct military conflict. Erdoğan also said Turkey is “closely following” developments, added: “On every platform, we voice Turkey’s support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
