ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Vladimir Putin in a phone call that peace efforts in the Russia-Ukraine war should be supported by a unilateral ceasefire and a “vision for a fair solution”, the Turkish presidency said on Thursday.
Erdogan and the Russian president have spoken repeatedly since Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February. Turkey acted as mediator alongside the United Nations to set up a deal allowing grain exports from Ukrainian ports.
“President Erdogan said calls for peace and negotiations should be supported by a unilateral ceasefire and a vision for a fair solution,” the readout said, adding that Erdogan reminded Putin of the positive outcomes of the grains corridor deal.
Ukraine is a major global grain producer and exporter, but production and exports have fallen since Russia invaded and started blockading its seaports.
The two leaders also discussed Syria, with Erdogan telling Putin that concrete steps needed to be taken to clear Kurdish militants from the Syrian border region, the readout said.
“President Erdogan emphasised that concrete steps should now be taken to clear the terrorist organisation PKK/PYD/YPG from Turkey’s border regions, especially Tel Rifat and Manbij,” it said.
(Reporting by Ece Toksabay and Can Sezer; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel and Nick Macfie)
