Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu will travel to Russia and Ukraine as Turkey intensifies diplomatic efforts to find a solution to the ongoing invasion, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in a press conference late Tuesday.
"Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu will travel to Russian capital Moscow tomorrow, then to Ukraine within the scope of our efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the war," he said in a speech after a Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Complex in Ankara.
This comes days after Çavuşoğlu hosted a landmark tripartite meeting with his counterparts from these two countries on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, held last week in southern Turkey. Nearly 400 local and foreign journalists came to the resort city to cover the meeting.
"The Ukraine crisis has reminded us that it is not a choice but an obligation for Turkey to be strong in the political, economic, and military fields and to be in a position to support its friends and brothers beyond its self-sufficiency," Erdoğan also said.
The president added that he would meet with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda on Wednesday in Ankara.
On the Antalya Diplomacy Forum and recent visits by world leaders to Turkey, Erdoğan said his country was shoring up its position as a center for diplomacy.
"I believe the Antalya Diplomacy Forum is a critical platform in terms of both the profile of the participants, the messages given there, and our country's attitude towards regional and global developments," he said and thanked everyone who contributed to the forum.
More than 3,000 people attended the forum, which was held on March 11-13 under the theme of "Recoding Diplomacy." Anadolu Agency (AA) was the global communication partner of the event, which gathered participants from 75 countries, including 17 heads of state, 80 ministers, and 39 representatives of international organizations.
Turkey sees it as a responsibility to end the suffering of Ukrainian civilians and has been striving to establish diplomatic contacts in this regard, Erdoğan also said recently, adding that "fascist practices" against Russians cast a shadow over Ukraine's legitimate struggle.
Addressing his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) meeting in Parliament in the capital Ankara, he underlined that Turkey rejects moves resembling a "witch-hunt" against Russian people, literature, students and artists.
"Fascist practices" against Russians cast a shadow over Ukraine’s "legitimate struggle," he said.
"A mindset discriminating against oppressed people on the basis of religion, origin or skin color has nothing to do with humanity or civilization," he added.
Erdoğan said that Turkey never discriminated against those fleeing war and persecution on the basis of their language, religion or color of their skin.
Saying that Turkey pursues a policy that defends the preservation of countries’ territorial integrities as well as sovereignties, Erdoğan added: "We are deeply saddened by the fact that the tension between Ukraine and Russia, both of which are our neighbors through the Black Sea, has turned into a hot conflict. We exerted much effort in order for the crisis not to turn into a tragedy and continue to do so."
He added that in his talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin he underlined the need for the solution of problems through dialogue and diplomacy instead of hard power. "We openly voiced that our region, which is struggling with instability, cannot stand new crises, especially a war that will have heavy costs," Erdoğan said.
The Russia-Ukraine war, which began Feb. 24, has drawn international condemnation, led to financial sanctions on Moscow, and spurred an exodus of global firms from Russia.
At least 636 civilians have been killed and 1,125 injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, while more than 3 million people have been displaced.