Turkey in diplomacy with Russia over crisis

ANKARA – Hürriyet Daily News

Davutoğlu meets with representatives of Crimean associations in Turkey.

Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioğlu held a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Grigori Krasin to discuss the unfolding crisis in Ukraine and informed him about the visit of Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu to the country.

Davutoğlu is likely to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on March 5 on the sidelines of the Support Group for Lebanon’s meeting, aiming to cope with the overspill from the conflict in neighboring Syria.

Davutoğlu has held telephone diplomacy with EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton, along with other foreign ministers from the U.S., France, Germany, Japan, Poland, Italy and the U.K, but has not contacted Lavrov yet.

In the meantime, Davutoğlu March 3 met with representatives of Crimean associations in Turkey. The minister stressed the need for restraint in Crimea, underlining the territorial integrity of the country, diplomatic sources said. “Never think we will be irrelevant” to the Crimean Tatars, Davutoğlu said at the meeting, noting a crisis desk has been set up for them.

The minister earlier met with Mustafa Abdülcemil Kırımlıoğlu, former president of the Crimean Tatar National Assembly, during his visit at Ukraine at the weekend.

Davutoğlu was also scheduled to meet with President Abdullah Gül late March 3 in order to inform him about the developments in the crisis-hit country.