Turkey refuses to join the Western sanctions campaign against Russia over its special operation in Ukraine, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu revealed to a diplomatic forum in Antalya on Sunday.

"We believe that the sanctions will not resolve the problem," he said when asked about Turkey’s stance regarding sanctions against Russia. "Take the airspace. Following the Montreux Convention, we have no power to close it. This is a legal obligation."

Meanwhile, NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg revealed on the sidelines of the diplomatic forum that the alliance expected all its members to impose restrictions on Moscow. 

It's worth mentioning that on February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a special military operation in Ukraine following a request for assistance from Donbass' leaders. He believes that Moscow had no plans to occupy the Ukrainian territories. However, the European Union, the United States, and other western countries have decided to launch a sanctions campaign against Russia. 

This is not the first time Turkey announces that it has no intention of joining sanctions against Russia so as not to harm its own economy and to keep the dialogue with Russia open.