Erdogan asks Putin to help solve Ukraine crisis

Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan holds a news conference at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium on June 14, 2021. YVES HERMAN REUTERS ANKARA Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to take part in negotiations to solve the Ukrainian crisis, according to a statement by the Turkish presidency.

T rkiye, which has good relations with both Ukraine and Russia, has been a mediator between the two countries since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February.

Russia will take steps to facilitate this process, especially on the issue of the accession of some regions in Ukraine to Russia, according to Erdogan, who said in a phone call that steps to reduce tensions are needed to pave the way for more positive developments.

Erdogan said that T rkiye was ready to play a facilitating role in the process, and that he asked Putin to give the negotiations another chance.

The Turkish president expressed his satisfaction with the successful conclusion of the Russia-Ukraine prisoner exchange and the functioning of the agreement signed in Istanbul which resumed the export of Ukrainian grains to world markets.

The extension of the grain export mechanism, which will expire in November, is a common interest, according to Erdogan.

He promised Ankara that they would continue to work on the uninterrupted export of Russian fertilizers and grain products.

Trkiye, who has good relations with both Ukraine and Russia, has been a mediator between the two countries since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukraine conflict in February.

On July 22, Ukraine and Russia signed a deal with the United Nations in Istanbul to resume food and fertilizer shipments from Ukrainian ports to international markets via the Black Sea.

Russia and Ukraine exchanged nearly 200 prisoners of war as a result of T rkiye's mediation, Erdogan announced last week.