ANKARA: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has told Russian President Vladimir Putin that he could help end the Ukraine-Russia conflict, but Putin’s spokesperson said Ankara could not play the role of an intermediary in the war.
Erdogan, speaking to the Russian leader on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana, said he believed a fair peace suiting both parties was possible, the Turkish leader said.
But Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, ruled out any role as a go-between for Erdogan. “No, it is not possible,” said Peskov, when asked by a Russian journalist whether President Erdogan could assume such a role, Russian Tass news agency reported. However, Russian media did not explain why the Kremlin was opposed to President Erdogan’s participation.
The Turkish presidency stated Erdogan and Putin also discussed the war in the Gaza Strip and means to end the conflict in Syria. Ankara is a member of NATO, the US-led Western defense alliance.
Unlike other NATO leaders, who have imposed sanctions on Moscow, President Erdogan has tried to maintain good ties with both Moscow and Kyiv throughout the war. Turkiye had played a key role in putting in place an agreement to ensure grain could be shipped safely from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports. The accord remained in effect for a year.
