Turkey’s representative to the United Nations called on Wednesday for restraint and common sense, saying that "we do not need nor do we want a new war in our region," as Russia attacks Ukraine after days of mounting tensions.
In his remarks at the U.N. General Assembly meeting, Feridun Sinirlioğlu said there is a "new act of aggression" in Ukraine and it is "our legal and moral obligation" to support Ukraine's independence, territorial integrity, sovereignty and political unity.
The Turkish envoy was referring to Russia's recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent states and his decision to send troops there for "peacekeeping missions."
"We call upon Russia to reverse its decision and return to diplomacy and dialogue on the basis of the Minsk agreements. This is the only way that will take us away from the precipice," said Sinirlioğlu.
"We urge the parties to get together around the negotiation table without delay. We are ready to facilitate this process and host technical and/or high-level meetings," he added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a military operation in Ukraine on Thursday with explosions heard across the country and its foreign minister warning a "full-scale invasion" was underway.
Weeks of intense diplomacy and the imposition of Western sanctions on Russia failed to deter Putin, who had massed between 150,000 and 200,000 troops along the borders of Ukraine.
Shortly after the announcement, explosions were heard in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, and several other cities.
Ukrainian border guards reported being under attack along the Russian and Belarusian frontiers.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared martial law and said Russia was attacking his country's "military infrastructure," but urged citizens not to panic and vowed victory.
Russia found an excuse for the military operation Wednesday when the Kremlin said the separatist leaders of Donetsk and Luhansk had sent separate letters to Putin, asking him to "help them repel Ukraine's aggression."
Their reported appeals came after Putin recognized their independence and signed friendship treaties with them that include defense deals.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has friendly ties with both Moscow and Kyiv, said Russia's recognition of Ukraine's breakaway regions was "unacceptable" and urged compliance with international law, in comments published Tuesday.
The U.N. Security Council had met late Wednesday for its second emergency session in three days over the crisis, with a personal plea from U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres coinciding with Putin's announcement.
Turkey voiced it can be a neutral mediator for a peaceful resolution to the crisis, offering to host the two countries' leaders or technical level talks in Istanbul or in Ankara.
While cooperating with Russia in energy and trade, Turkey has also sold sophisticated drones to Ukraine and inked a deal to co-produce more, angering Moscow.
Complicating diplomacy, Turkey opposes Russian policies in Syria and Libya even as it forges cooperation on the ground there. It also opposes Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea and its recognition of the Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions in Georgia as independent.