Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reiterated support for the Russia-Ukraine ceasefire, saying that NATO should not be part of the war.
On Tuesday, President Erdogan, along with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, received NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the Presidential Complex in Ankara and held a closed-door meeting.
The discussions focused on developments in the Ukraine-Russia war and global and regional issues.
Erdogan said that Türkiye has increased its efforts to end the Ukraine-Russia war with a lasting and just peace, and that he has held meetings with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Türkiye strongly supports the establishment of a comprehensive ceasefire, added the president, adding that the opportunity for peace should not be missed.
“Staunch, capable ally”
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte described Türkiye as a ‘staunch and capable ally,’ following his meeting with Turkish President on Tuesday.
“We also discussed Ukraine, where there is a real window of opportunity for progress towards peace,” Rutte said in a statement on X ahead of the informal NATO Foreign Ministers' Meeting on May 14-15 in Antalya, a Turkish resort city in the southern Mediterranean.
He said it is excellent to meet Erdogan as they prepare for the NATO Summit next month “to keep the Alliance strong.”
Moscow is willing to engage in responsible negotiations, but it doubts other party's ability to reach agreement, Russian deputy foreign minister says.
Expecting cooperation in fight against terrorism
The proposal for unconditional talks in Istanbul on May 15 was made by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a press conference in Moscow on Sunday.
Later that day, Erdogan confirmed Türkiye's readiness to host the meeting.
During the meeting, Erdogan stated that Türkiye attaches importance to NATO and as an indication of this, Türkiye will assume the command of the NATO Kosovo Force again, according to Türkiye’s Communications Directorate.
He said Türkiye expects cooperation from its allies in the fight against terrorism and that Türkiye will continue to do its best to keep NATO strong despite internal and external challenges.
