Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he does not consider the prospect of a Russian "invasion" of Ukraine realistic. He told Turkish journalists aboard a plane returning from Albania.
"I do not consider the prospect of a Russian invasion of Ukraine realistic because Ukraine is not an ordinary country, it is a strong country. In addition, for Russia to go for it, it must reconsider the situation around the world and its own situation," Anadolu Agency quoted the Turkish leader as saying on Tuesday. Erdogan added that he will soon hold talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who recently visited Ukraine. "Of course, we need to discuss these issues with Mr. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin as well," the Turkish leader stressed.
He called for an end to the conflict in Donbass and made the claim that at every meeting with Putin he declares Turkey's position "against the occupation of Crimea." "Our foreign minister [Mevlut Cavusoglu] also informs his interlocutors about this. So our policy in this regard is clear," NTV quoted the Turkish president as saying.
Lately, there have been allegations in Western countries, as well as in Kiev, about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov called such information an empty and baseless escalation of tension. He stressed that Russia posed no threat to anyone. At the same time, Peskov did not rule out the possibility of provocations to justify such statements and warned that attempts to resolve the crisis in southeastern Ukraine by force would have the most serious consequences.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS