Turkey advocates 'open dialogue' with Russia
Ankara is still trying to maintain a return ticket to Moscow.
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Ibrahim Kalin, Turkish Presidential Spokesperson
On Saturday, Turkish Presidential Spokesperson, Ibrahim Kalin, said that Turkey understands countries' positions regarding Russia, but Ankara believes that it is in its interest to maintain an open line of communication with Moscow.
Read more: Russia appreciates Turkey's approach to Montreux obligations
"We understand the feelings and positions of other countries that they have adopted [in relation to Russia]. However, we believe that we should maintain open dialogue with Russia. If everyone burns bridges with Russia, who will talk to them?" Kalin told Turkey's Star newspaper.
The Spokesperson asserted that Ankara should "keep open channels of communication with Russia and try to understand Moscow's security concerns," noting that Turkey is willing to facilitate negotiations between Putin and Zelensky as a "peaceful agreement on Ukraine can be achieved only at the highest level," according to Kalin.
Recently supporting ceasefire in Ukraine, Turkey claims it respected the Montreaux Convention when it came to Western demands to block the Bosphorous and Dardanelles straits from Russian warships.
Turkey, furthermore, has also refused to join the packages of sanctions against Russia.
Last Sunday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu revealed to a diplomatic forum in Antalya said Turkey refuses to join the Western sanctions campaign against Russia over its special operation in Ukraine.
"We believe that the sanctions will not resolve the problem," he said when asked about Turkey’s stance regarding sanctions against Russia.
