Turkey: Possible meeting between Putin, Zelensky soon
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Turkey reiterates its mediation role in the Russian-Ukraine but insists that Putin has the final word on the crisis.
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Turkey: Possible meeting between Putin, Zelensky soon
Turkish Presidency's Spokesperson, Ibrahim Kalin, announced on Friday that a "possible" meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky could take place in the near future and that there's a good reason for such a meeting.
A Turkish channel quoted Kalin as saying that "the meeting is possibly taking place in the near future. There are reasons to believe that this meeting will happen sooner or later. We will continue to be the mediator, but eventually, it is Putin who will end this war. It is Putin who will have the last word on this matter."
Erdogan stresses Turkey mediation between Russia, Ukraine with Biden
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday told US counterpart Joe Biden that mediating the "Ukraine-Russia war" was important to Ankara. Erdogan's words came following talks between Kiev and Moscow in Antalya, Turkey.
Turkey held talks between Kiev and Moscow in a bid to simmer down tensions as the Russian special military operation in Ukraine unfolds.
The talks failed to achieve a breakthrough on a ceasefire or humanitarian issues, though Ankara used it to highlight its role as a "mediator" in the crisis.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had expressed his dissatisfaction with the Antalya talks, saying that despite Moscow being in favor of all communications that helped in resolving the Ukraine crisis, there are no alternatives to the negotiations in Belarus.
Erdogan said being able to talk to both sides and being a "facilitator" in the search for a resolution to the conflict mattered to Turkey during a phone call with his US counterpart, according to the Turkish presidency.
Ankara will continue to strictly abide by the Montreux Convention, Turkish Parliament speaker Mustafa Sentop said Friday in response to calls to close straits in the face of Russian ships.
