Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned on Friday that military conflict between Russia and Ukraine would amount to a "serious violation" of regional peace and unacceptable for Turkey, while repeating his offer to mediate.
NATO member Turkey has good ties with Kyiv and Moscow, but opposes Russian policies in Syria and Libya, and its annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014. Turkish diplomatic sources said on Thursday that both Russia and Ukraine were open to Turkey playing a role to ease tensions.
"Any development in the region between Russia and Ukraine, from border violations to a war breaking out, will bring about a serious violation of regional peace and will cause serious discomfort in the region," Erdoğan said.
He also told reporters in Istanbul that Turkey had great ties with Ukraine, and that its ties with Moscow were advancing "in a peace that hasn't been seen in our history".
"We cannot accept these positive developments turning into negatives between Russia and Ukraine. Therefore, we can be a mediator in finding peace between Russia and Ukraine," he said, adding he had told his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts that Turkey was ready to play any role it can to resolve things.
He said on Thursday that he had "warm ties with both Ukraine and Russia" and would try everything possible to avert a war from breaking out.
Erdoğan said he was ready to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow in a bid to ease soaring tensions over Ukraine.
Turkey has previously proposed hosting talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Istanbul under a peace format overseen by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Erdoğan is expected to travel to Kyiv for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in early February.
"I have an upcoming visit to Ukraine," Erdoğan told reporters.
"In the meantime, there could be a telephone call with Mr. Putin or I could visit Moscow," he added without going into details.
Diplomatic efforts continue to de-escalate heightened tensions between Russia and the West, with all eyes again set on the Russia-Ukraine border and frontline territories.
Russia is accused of having amassed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine's border, a move that has prompted concerns by the West that Moscow could be planning another military offensive against its ex-Soviet neighbor.
The Kremlin has denied Western accusations of a looming invasion, saying its forces are there for exercises.
