Turkey’s Erdoğan calls for end to war in Ukraine in call with Putin – POLITICO

Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called for an “immediate end” to the war in Ukraine on Saturday during a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Erdoğan also “thanked President Putin for his positive stance on expanding the Black Sea Grains Initiative” and added that the two countries “could take further steps” in economic cooperation, he said. the communications directorate of the Turkish presidency in a press release on Saturday. .

The Black Sea Grains Agreement, which allowed food exports from Ukraine to resume after Moscow’s illegal invasion of the country blocked several ports, was extended last weekend. The grain deal was originally signed last summer by Kyiv and Moscow under the auspices of the United Nations.

The Kremlin said in a statement following the Putin-Erdoğan phone call that the two leaders also discussed the situation in Syria.

They stressed “the need to continue the process of normalizing relations between Turkey and Syria” and “the constructive role of Russia as a mediator”, according to the statement.