Turkey Offers Support to Ukraine

Turkey is concerned about the escalation of the situation in Donbas and is prepared to provide Ukraine with "any necessary support" to reduce tensions in that region. This was announced by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during a press conference following a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Istanbul on Saturday.

Erdoğan expressed hope that the conflict with Russia would be resolved "through diplomatic means, within the framework of Ukraine's territorial integrity and international law." The Turkish leader also stated his support for Ukraine's aspirations to join NATO.

According to Volodymyr Zelensky, discussions with Erdoğan included collective responses to challenges in the Black Sea region and security issues. "It should be noted that the visions of Kyiv and Ankara coincide regarding both the threats and the ways to respond to them," the Ukrainian president stated.

According to an official statement from the Ukrainian side, Zelensky and Erdoğan also agreed to continue joint efforts towards the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity.

However, on Sunday, President Erdoğan made another statement: "Yesterday we met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. We want them to resolve their disputes peacefully as soon as possible, and we are making efforts in that direction," Milliyet newspaper quoted Erdoğan, who did not clarify what efforts Ankara is referring to.