Turkey hopes talks for a ceasefire in Ukraine will start soon, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Sunday, at the end of a diplomatic forum in the southern city of Antalya.
Hakan Fidan
Turkey hopes talks for a ceasefire in Ukraine will start soon, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Sunday, at the end of a diplomatic forum in the southern city of Antalya.
Fidan met his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on Friday on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. He told reporters he had discussed a number of issues with Lavrov, including Ukraine.
"On the issue of Ukraine, our view is that both sides have reached the limits of what they can get by war. We think that it is time to start a dialogue for a ceasefire," Fidan said.
"That doesn't mean recognising the occupation (by Russia), but issues of sovereignty and ceasefire should be discussed separately."
NATO member Turkey, which shares a maritime border with both Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea, has sought to maintain good ties with both nations since Russia's invasion of Ukraine two years ago.
Ankara has provided military support for Ukraine and voiced support for its territorial integrity, but also opposes sanctions on Russia.
"The death and injury of more than 500,000 people and the complete destruction of the infrastructure and superstructure of an entire country is not a reality that is bearable for us," Fidan said.
"This has to stop somehow. To stop this, there should be some discussions and everybody should get used to this idea."
By Tuvan Gumrukcu
Turkey is ready to supply electricity to Syria and Lebanon and a team of government officials is already in Syria working on how to resolve its energy issues, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said.
Abdel Rahmane al-Qaradaoui, the son of the late influential preacher Youssef al-Qaradaoui, was detained in Lebanon on Saturday upon returning from Syria, according to a Lebanese judicial official speaking on condition of anonymity.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in good condition and fully conscious after his prostate surgery ended "successfully," his office said on Sunday.
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