Turkey’s Erdogan cuts short Africa visit, offers to mediate in Russia-Ukraine standoff

 

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday cut short his trip to Africa, his office said, as the Turkish leader stepped up diplomacy over the crisis between Russia and Ukraine.

The Turkish leader, who has friendly ties to 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.

Turkey “is against any kind of decision aimed at Ukraine’s territorial integrity”, he said. Diplomatic means should be used to find a resolution at the international level, he added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin defied Western warnings and approved sending troops into eastern Ukraine on Monday to support two rebel regions’ independence claims.

Erdogan has positioned Turkey as 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.