Ankara, 14 March 2022 (TDI): Presidency Office of Turkey has told that Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz met each other in Ankara to discuss the war situation in Ukraine.
Both Turkey and Germany have incessantly accentuated efforts for ceasefire from 19 days into Russia’s invasion. Turkey is the only Islamic Country, who is the member of NATO.
Turkey has a maritime border with the Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea and has affable diplomatic relations with both states. It has unanimously said that the invasion is unacceptable and shown solidarity for Ukraine, but also has opposed the sanctions on Moscow, while offering to mediate.
Further, it has been said by Ukraine that it was working with Turkey and Israel as mediators to establish an environment and framework for negotiations with Russia.
It is pertinent to mention that Turkey has hosted the first high level talks between the foreign ministers of the both warring states in the last week.
Monday’s visit of German Chancellor Scholz’s is the first trip to Turkey since taking office in December 2021 which comes amid efforts by Germany to occupy with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end Moscow’s invasion.
Germany and France have taken the lead in bringing the conflict to a conclusion inside the European Union. According to the Turkish Presidency, it has been said that apart from bilateral relations, both heads of the states exchanged their ideas on the other regional and international issues, especially Ukraine and Turkey-EU relations also.
Turkish side is confident to facilitate the peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, but it has been said that ceasefire and humanitarian corridors are the foremost need first.
According to Turkish authorities, Turkish citizens are entangled in the fighting zone. It has asked Moscow for safe evacuation support of Turkish citizens while delivering humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Russia has declared its operation a “special military operation” aimed at capturing what it regards as dangerous nationalists in Ukraine.
