Erdogan Says in Contact With Putin, Zelensky to Resolve Ukrainian Crisis
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to the media during a joint press conference with Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto, at the presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey, Friday, March 17, 2023. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that his government would move forward with ratifying Finland’s NATO application, paving the way for the country to join the military bloc ahead of Sweden. 
InternationalIndiaAfricaANKARA (Sputnik) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that he has been in constant contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to facilitate the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. “I am in contact with Putin and Zelensky almost every week. I am making a sincere effort to stop the conflict. I believe that a just peace is possible,” Erdogan said at a dinner with ambassadors accredited in Ankara. Later in the day, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that currently “everyone appreciates Turkiye’s unbiased stance” and that everyone “is jealous” that Erdogan has been communicating with both sides of the Ukrainian conflict. The last telephone conversation between the leaders of Russia and Turkiye took place on March 25. The call addressed the steps to strengthen bilateral relations, as well as the situation around Ukraine. During the conversation, Erdogan also thanked Putin for the Russian leader’s positive stance on the extension of the grain deal allowing exports of Ukrainian grain from Black Sea ports. On March 25, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said that Erdogan intends to hold telephone talks with Zelensky to discuss the settlement of the conflict.
