Turkey to continue efforts for truce in Ukraine: FM
ADANA
Turkey is continuing efforts for reaching a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia despite all the difficulties and intensifying clashes, especially in the eastern parts of Ukraine, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has said.
“Despite all the difficulties, we continue to work for truce. We should do it. On the other hand, we have to keep the negative impacts of this war on us at a minimum level,” Çavuşoğlu said at an iftar dinner late April 16 in Adana.
Turkey is exerting efforts for the resolution of the problems between the two warring sides in line with its principled and genuine foreign policy as well as in parallel to its growing importance in the region, Çavuşoğlu said. “All the world knows the steps we have been taking for ending this war. If there could be an improvement [on the talks between Ukraine and Russia], it has happened at Istanbul Summit as a result of our contribution,” he added.
The minister referred to Istanbul Summit, which convened Ukrainian and Russian delegations for a direct negotiation to find a solution to the problem and end the war accordingly. Turkey has facilitated and hosted the meeting.
The conditions in the field are not easy, with inhumane pictures coming from the battlefield as Russia’s military offensive is seemingly intensifying in the eastern part of Ukraine, Çavuşoğlu said.
Turkey implements convention strictly
Turkey is implementing the Montreux Convention in the strictest way and without thinking about which party it will serve, Çavuşoğlu said. “Law is law, and convention is convention. We say we should implement it, and we do it. This war has brought Turkey to a very different status. Everyone has seen our principled policy and the role we play.”
The minister said the world has now understood the importance of Turkey but that it should not be temporary, stressing: “Turkey is a country that contributes to the world and Europe in a significant way. We may be as powerful as possible outside to the extent we may be powerful inside.”
Turkey is trying to minimize the negative impacts of the war while not ignoring the humanitarian aspect of it, Çavuşoğlu said.
“While we were bringing our citizens, their relatives, Crimean Tatars and Meskhetian Turks home, we have also tried to evacuate other countries’ citizens from Ukraine. We have evacuated some 7,000 brothers from the Turkic states. We have to extend our hand to our brothers. We also continue to deliver humanitarian aid. We wish to end this war through a permanent truce soon. It is not easy but we should continue to work for it,” he said.
