President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday that Turkey did not recognise steps against Ukraine's territorial integrity, the Turkish presidency said, after Russia recognised two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine.
Putin's recognition has prompted a backlash and sanctions from Western countries. NATO member Turkey, which borders Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea, has good ties with both and opposes sanctions on principle. It has offered to mediate the crisis and warned against military conflict.
In a phone call, Erdoğan told Putin military conflict in the region would not benefit anyone and repeated his offer to help achieve a solution, his office said. Erdoğan also said he valued Putin's close cooperation on regional issues and wanted to continue this.
"President Erdoğan, who renewed his call for the matter to be resolved through dialogue, stated that it was important to bring diplomacy to the forefront, and that (Turkey) continued its constructive stance in NATO as well."
Earlier, Erdoğan was cited by media as saying Turkey cannot abandon ties with Ukraine or Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday expressed his disappointment to Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at what he said were attempts by the U.S. and NATO to ignore Russia's legitimate security demands, Interfax cited the Kremlin as saying.
In a phone call, Putin said he had recognised the independence of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, a move that prompted sanctions from Western countries, because of what he alleged was Ukraine's rejection of the Minsk peace agreements.
