Erdoğan: Turkey ready to act as mediator in finding peace between Russia and Ukraine

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned on Friday that military conflict between Russia and Ukraine would amount to a “serious violation” of regional peace and unacceptable for Turkey, while repeating his offer to mediate.

NATO member Turkey has good ties with Kyiv and Moscow, but opposes Russian policies in Syria and Libya, and its annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014. Turkish diplomatic sources said on Thursday that both Russia and Ukraine were open to Turkey playing a role to ease tensions.

“Any development in the region between Russia and Ukraine, from border violations to a war breaking out, will bring about a serious violation of regional peace and will cause serious discomfort in the region,” Erdoğan said.

He also told reporters in Istanbul that Turkey had great ties with Ukraine, and that its ties with Moscow were advancing “in a peace that hasn’t been seen in our history”.