Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has called on Russia and Ukraine to resolve their dispute through dialogue, saying Turkey wants the Black Sea that it also borders to become a "sea of peace."
Erdoğan made the comments Tuesday during an address to members of his ruling party, days after a standoff near Crimea in which Russian border guards opened fire on three Ukrainian navy vessels and eventually seized them and their crews.
Erdoğan said Turkey, which enjoys close ties with Russia and Ukraine, wanted to maintain cooperation with both nations.
The Turkish leader said: "At a time when the world is in the claws of serious threats, we would be pleased to see Russia and Ukraine standing together, not against each other."
