On Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in a joint conference held with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Istanbul, called for a de-escalation of tensions in Ukraine by saying that Turkey does not want tensions “to rise under any circumstances” and hoped that the “Black Sea continues to be a sea of peace, serenity and cooperation.” Erdoğan’s statements come amid rising tensions between Kyiv and Moscow over the beefing up of Russian troops in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.
Erdoğan also stated during the talks that Turkey has “defended in the strongest terms the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and reiterated its principled decision of not recognising Crimea’s annexation.” Ukraine has raised alarm over the build-up of Russian troops near its border, fuelling concerns that Russia may send forces into Ukraine, which Russia has denied. The move is being seen by the United States (US) and Europe as an act of aggression, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Russia of “consequences” if it acts “aggressively” towards Ukraine.
Erdoğan’s statements were made a day after he had a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin “expressed concern that Ukraine is dodging the implementations of the Minsk agreements and has recently resumed dangerous provocations on the contact line.” Russia has also warned Ukraine to avoid any attempt to retake control of the separatist-held areas.
Turkey and Russia have been at odds over several issues, including the Libyan civil war and the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute. In 2020, Turkey led a military intervention in support of the United Nations (UN)-recognised Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) against Khalif Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA), which is supported by Russian backed mercenaries. However, in the same year, Turkey provided crucial military support to Azerbaijan against Russian-ally Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh war. Ankara’s Bayraktar drones have been credited with giving Baku a decisive victory over Yerevan.
The Black Sea region is of vital strategic importance to Turkey and the Russian annexation of Crimea has effectively altered the balance of power in the region. It has gone from a Turkish dominated area to one where Russia is increasingly flexing its military might. This has consequently led to a deepening of strategic ties between Ankara and Kyiv.
During the talks with Zelensky, Erdoğan said that “Turkey stands ready to provide any kind of support in order for the recent worrisome tension on the ground to be defused as soon as possible.” The Turkish President also stressed the importance of resolving the conflict “through dialogue and on the basis of the Minsk agreements.” For his part, Zelensky said that “Turkey’s support for Ukraine is of utmost importance.”
Erdoğan Calls For Peaceful Black Sea During Meet With Ukrainian President Zelensky
Erdoğan’s statements come amid rising tensions between Kyiv and Moscow over the beefing up of Russian troops in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.
April 12, 2021
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Turskish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Saturday SOURCE: PRESIDENCY OF TURKEY