President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Thursday that every opportunity should be taken to end the humanitarian tragedy in Ukraine in a phone call with the Austrian chancellor.
Erdoğan urged support for the Istanbul process to advance peace talks between Russia and Ukraine during the call with Karl Nehammer, according to a statement by Turkey’s Communications Directorate.
He also thanked the Austrian chancellor for praising Ankara's role in ending the war as soon as possible and expressing his support for the Istanbul process regarding peace talks.
Ankara would continue its efforts in favor of a peaceful solution, he underlined.
Turkey, a NATO member with close ties to both Kyiv and Moscow, hosted the highest-level Russian-Ukrainian peace talks late last month since the military campaign started more than six weeks ago and has been encouraging both sides to continue negotiations.
It hosted face-to-face talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Istanbul after a first round in the southern province of Antalya. Ankara has offered to host future peace talks.
"We agree that the Istanbul process is the best opportunity for peace in Ukraine," Nehammer said on Twitter.
The chancellor added that Austria will always contribute to peace with its policy of active neutrality.
Nehammer held various contacts as part of his trip to Ukraine's capital Kyiv on April 9 and visited war-hit areas, particularly Bucha, a liberated Ukrainian city near Kyiv where the bodies of civilians allegedly killed by Russian troops were discovered.
After visiting Kyiv, Nehammer went to Moscow on April 11 and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Commenting on the meeting, he said it was "difficult."
Nehammer became the first European leader to visit Moscow since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war on Feb. 24.
NATO ally Turkey borders Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea and has good ties with both. Since the beginning of the conflict, Ankara has offered to mediate between the two sides and host peace talks, underlining its support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Having recently called Russia’s invasion an unacceptable violation of international law, Turkey has carefully formulated its rhetoric not to offend Moscow, with which it has close energy, defense and tourism ties.
While forging close ties with Russia on energy, defense and trade and relying heavily on Russian tourists, Turkey has sold drones to Ukraine, which angered Moscow. Turkey also opposes Russian policies in Syria and Libya, as well as Moscow's annexation of Crimea.
Erdoğan has reiterated that Turkey will not abandon its relations with Russia or Ukraine, underlining that Ankara's ability to speak to both sides is an asset.
According to U.N. estimates, at least 1,964 civilians have been killed and 2,613 injured in Ukraine since the war began, with the true figure believed to be much higher.
More than 4.7 million Ukrainians have fled to other countries, with over 7 million more internally displaced, said the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.