Turkiye wants cease-fire in Ukraine to be 'permanent, countrywide'

By Iclal Turan

ISTANBUL (AA) - Humanitarian cease-fire in Ukraine should be "permanent and countrywide," the Turkish foreign minister said Saturday.

Speaking at a joint news conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov in Baku, Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkiye is watching the developments in Ukraine with concern.

"We want this unjust and unlawful attack to end as soon as possible. We continue to increase our efforts in this regard," he said.

Cavusoglu also pointed out Turkiye's efforts for the safe evacuation of Turkish citizens in Ukraine, adding that they will continue the cooperation with Azerbaijan regarding the issue.

"We also work together to deliver humanitarian aid to the people of Ukraine," he said.

Turkiye has so far evacuated at least 11,024 citizens from Ukraine, Cavusoglu also said.

There were nearly 20,000 Turkish citizens living in Ukraine, according to Turkish officials.

At least 331 civilians have been killed and 675 others injured in Ukraine since Russia launched a war in the Eastern European country on Feb. 24, according to UN figures.

More than 1.3 million people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries, the latest data by the UN refugee agency showed.

The Russian attacks have been met by an outcry from the international community, with the EU, UK, and US implementing a range of economic sanctions against Moscow.

- Normalization process between Turkiye, Armenia

Cavusoglu said there is a "full coordination between Turkiye and Azerbaijan" during the process for the normalization of Turkiye-Armenia ties.

"Our main goal is to maintain good neighborly relations in the region in line with international law," he stated.

Turkish-Armenian relations have entered a new phase after both countries appointed special representatives, which held their first meeting on Jan. 14 in Moscow.

The special representatives from Turkiye and Armenia, Serdar Kilic and Ruben Rubinyan, held their second meeting in Vienna on Feb. 24, where both sides "reiterated their agreement to continue the process without preconditions," according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.