The upcoming meeting between NATO leaders should be focused on ways of securing a cease-fire in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and not just on sanctions and deterrence, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Tuesday.
"Everyone’s first aim should be a cease-fire," Çavuşoğlu told Turkish journalists on the sidelines of an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in Pakistan.
"It should be to stop the war that is going on right now. Everyone should act responsibly and constructively," he said.
He continued: "Of course, we need to show unity and solidarity within NATO, we need to show deterrence. But who is paying the price of the ongoing war?"
U.S. President Joe Biden and other NATO leaders are scheduled to meet Thursday in Brussels. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told CBS’ "Face the Nation" on Sunday that the meeting is intended not just to show NATO’s "support to Ukraine, but also our readiness to protect and defend all NATO allies."
Çavuşoğlu said Turkey was pressing with its efforts as a "mediator and facilitator" to end the fighting and was in touch with negotiators on both sides. Turkey was also trying to bring the warring sides to meet face to face again, he said.
Turkey has been one of the countries leading efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has impacted millions of civilians. Turkey says it can facilitate peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, but says that a cease-fire and humanitarian corridors are needed first.
Ankara hosted the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine in Antalya earlier this month. Foreign ministers Sergey Lavrov of Russia and Dmytro Kuleba of Ukraine met for talks in the Turkish resort town of Antalya, which Çavuşoğlu also attended. The talks were largely inconclusive, but Ankara considers the fact that they took place at all a success.
Recently, Ukraine said it was working with Turkey and Israel as mediators to set a place and framework for talks with Russia. Lavrov also said that Moscow views mediation offers from Turkey and Israel to resolve the crisis in Ukraine positively.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday once again stressed on the necessity of continuing diplomatic efforts to end the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
"We are aware of the difficulties of the conditions (of the Russia-Ukraine war), but we will continue our sincere efforts, acknowledging that diplomacy is the only way out," he told a joint news conference with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in Ankara.
Erdoğan said Turkey has taken a "clear stance" since the very beginning of the crisis in Ukraine, calling for common sense to prevail and holding dialogue on every occasion.
Noting that more than 3 million Ukrainians have fled their country since the start of the war, Erdoğan said his contacts with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin continue.
The president said that he expressed his country's readiness to support a permanent cease-fire during his talks with the Dutch premier.
Russia's war on Ukraine, 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 925 civilians have been killed in Ukraine, while nearly 1,500 others have been injured, according to United Nations estimates. Over 3.5 million people have also fled to neighboring countries.
Regarding reports of mines drifting from Odessa to the Black Sea, Erdoğan said: "Our Ministry of National Defense is taking all kinds of measures and will continue to do whatever is necessary. Do not be concerned about it."
Maintaining its neutral and balanced stance, Turkey continues its diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the Ukraine conflict, urging all sides to exercise restraint. While Ankara has opposed international sanctions designed to isolate Moscow, it also closed its straits to prevent some Russian vessels from crossing through them.
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, angering Moscow. Turkey also opposes Russian policies in Syria and Libya, as well as Moscow's annexation of Crimea. Erdoğan has repeatedly said Turkey will not abandon its relations with Russia or Ukraine, underlining that Ankara's ability to speak to both sides is an asset.