Turkey President Recep Tayip Erdogan Photo: Courtesy
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
called Saturday for a peaceful resolution of Ukraine’s tensions with Russia
based on respect of its territorial integrity.
Flanked by his Ukrainian counterpart
Volodymyr Zelensky, Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul that Turkey aims “to
ensure the Black Sea remains a sea of peace and cooperation” as US warships
were due to sail through Turkey’s Bosphorus.
“We don’t want an increase in tensions in
our common region,” Erdogan said.
“We believe that the current crisis must be
settled by peaceful means on the basis of international law and respect for
Ukraine’s territorial integrity,” the Turkish leader added.
Ukrainian and US officials have expressed
concern in recent days over the arrival of thousands of Russian soldiers and
materiel near eastern Ukraine where clashes have increased between pro-Russian
separatists and Kiev’s government forces in a conflict now several years old.
Turkey announced Friday the United States
will soon send two warships through the Bosphorus to the Black Sea, which borders
both Russia and Ukraine.
US Navy ships routinely operate in the
region in support of Ukraine.
Erdogan also said Turkey was ready to
provide all forms of support aimed at settling the conflict and that it would
refuse to recognise Russia’s 2015 annexation of Crimea, which was part of
Ukraine.
Zelensky said: “Turkey’s support for
re-establishing our territorial sovereignty is essential.”
Turkey said the two US warships would
transit the Bosphorus in line with the Montreux convention.
The 1936 treaty guarantees free navigation
for civilian ships through the Turkish strait. But states that do not share a
Black Sea coastline must give two weeks notice before sending warships into the
area and then keep them there for no more than 21 days.
In a phone call on Friday, Russian
President Vladimir Putin urged his Turkish counterpart to protect the treaty at
a time when questions have risen about the impact of a planned canal.
Analysts said the possible suspension of the treaty could facilitate access to the Black Sea of warships from non-coastal countries like the United States and other NATO member states, which Moscow frowns upon. Turkey is a NATO member.
0 Comments