Erdogan will tell Putin to stop Ukraine war in call on Sunday -spokesman

ANKARA, March 5 (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will inform his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Sunday to cease the invasion of Ukraine, an Erdogan spokesman stated, whereas including that it was naive to count on talks between Moscow and Kyiv to yield outcomes whereas preventing rages.

NATO member Turkey shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia within the Black Sea and has good ties with each international locations. Ankara has opposed sanctions on Moscow, but in addition described its invasion of Ukraine as unacceptable, referred to as for a ceasefire and supplied to host peace talks.

Talking to reporters in Istanbul, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin stated Erdogan would reiterate that supply to Putin in a telephone name on Sunday. He would ask Putin to “give an opportunity” to a ceasefire, cease his assaults, and assist arrange corridors wanted for evacuations of civilians and shipments of support.

“We’re specializing in what steps we will take right here to convey the edges to the negotiating desk and to persuade the Russian aspect (to cease),” Kalin stated, including it was vital that Moscow had a dependable counterpart to speak to because the West had “burned bridges” with it.

“This community of belief (with Russia) should completely be stored open for these talks, diplomacy to succeed,” he stated. “In any other case it is going to be unattainable for the entire area, together with Russia and Ukraine, to flee from this destruction.”

Kalin additionally reiterated Ankara’s criticism of the sanctions that many international locations have imposed on Russia for the reason that invasion, saying the measures ought to be geared toward stopping the warfare.

“We’ve got no plans for sanctions proper now… We don’t need to be pushed right into a place the place we grow to be a celebration within the warfare. We want to have the ability to communicate with each side.”

Afterward Saturday, Turkey’s international ministry stated International Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu had mentioned developments on Ukraine together with his Ukrainian and Russian counterparts in separate calls.

Turkey has cast shut cooperation with Russia in defence, vitality and commerce, and depends on Russian vacationers. Nevertheless it has additionally offered drones to Kyiv, angering Moscow, and opposes Russian insurance policies in Syria, Libya, and its annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Ankara has stated it needs to convey collectively international ministers from Ukraine and Russia for talks at a diplomacy discussion board subsequent week in southern Turkey. Each Ukraine and Russia have voiced openness to such talks.

Erdogan, who has typically referred to as Putin a good friend, final spoke to him on Feb. 23, a day earlier than Moscow launched what it calls a “particular navy operation” in Ukraine. On Saturday, he mentioned the warfare with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and European Council President Charles Michel.

Kalin repeated that Turkey couldn’t abandon ties with Kyiv or Moscow. He stated Ankara was in touch with each the Ukrainian and Russian negotiating groups.

“Whereas these intense assaults proceed on Ukrainian cities, it could be naive to count on a concrete, binding outcome that may positively impression the scenario on the bottom,” Kalin stated.

Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu
Enhancing by Mike Harrison, Frances Kerry, William Maclean

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Belief Rules.