Russia should give chance to negotiations: Turkish presidential spokesman

By Zeynep Rakipoglu and Elif Kucuk

ISTANBUL (AA) - Russia should give a real chance to negotiations which would lead to positive results on the ground, Turkiye's presidential spokesman said Saturday.

Ibrahim Kalin told reporters after an event in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul that clashes on the ground should not continue to allow further destruction amid Russia’s war on Ukraine.

"Further destruction should not continue and the need for allowing a concrete result at the negotiating table, which will affect the realities on the ground in a more positive way," he said.

“The message they wanted to give was given,” said Kalin, noting that the Russian side should allow a real chance at negotiations.

Touching on Turkiye's diplomatic efforts to end the war, Kalin cited the intense contacts of the country's Foreign Ministry, related Turkish officials and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's phone conversations.

Reminding Erdogan's separate phone calls Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Kalin said talks will continue Saturday with European Council President Charles Michel and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

"On Sunday he [Erdogan] will have a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and we will continue to give our messages," he added.

Russia's war on Ukraine has been met by outrage from the international community with the EU, UK, and US, among others, implementing a range of economic sanctions on Moscow.

According to UN figures, at least 331 civilians have been killed and 675 injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the war on Feb. 24.

More than 1.2 million people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries, according to the UN refugee agency.