Erdogan: Turkey will not abandon its dialogue with Russia or Ukraine, and NATO must clarify its position

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Ankara cannot abandon its dialogue with Russia or Ukraine against the backdrop of the current escalation between them, calling on NATO to take a clear position on the issue.

On Wednesday, Erdogan told reporters accompanying him on his plane, upon his return from a tour of the African continent: “Turkey does not intend to abandon its dialogue with either Russia or Ukraine, but rather we seek to take steps that would resolve the issue without harming our relations with these two countries.”

The Turkish president warned that the escalation of tensions between Russia and Ukraine poses a threat to security and stability in the Black Sea basin, stressing that Ankara will hold talks with its NATO allies in this regard.

Erdogan called on NATO to “clarify its position” regarding the Russian-Ukrainian escalation and “take what is necessary” during its virtual summit scheduled to be held today, noting that “everyone has so far been satisfied with statements without any actual action.”

The Turkish president expressed his hope that Russia and Ukraine would return to the dialogue table as soon as possible, expressing his intention to continue his contacts with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin after the current NATO summit.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putin is scheduled to hold a call this evening with Erdogan.