A top aide to Türkiye's president said on Friday the international community cannot end the war in Ukraine by ignoring Moscow, as Tayyip Erdoğan headed to Russia to meet his counterpart Vladimir Putin.
The meeting, less than three weeks since they held talks in Tehran, comes after Türkiye helped broker a deal to resume Ukraine's Black Sea grain exports which were blocked by Russia's invasion.
Turkish presidential communications director Fahrettin Altun said the agreement attested to the success of NATO member Türkiye's efforts and the direct diplomacy between the two leaders, while criticising the role played by other countries.
"The truth is that some of our friends do not want the war to end. They are shedding crocodile tears," Altun told Reuters, saying some were actively trying to undermine Türkiye's efforts without specifying who.
"The international community cannot end the war in Ukraine by ignoring Russia. Diplomacy and peace must prevail," he said.
Erdoğan was scheduled to meet Putin on Friday afternoon before a meeting between delegations of the two countries.
Türkiye has relatively good relations with both Ukraine and Russia. But while it has criticised the invasion and provided Ukraine with arms, it has broken with Western allies by not imposing sanctions on Russia.
"We are looking to harness Türkiye's relationships with Russia and Ukraine to work toward a mutually acceptable solution," Altun said
