Turkiye discusses Russia-Ukraine war with Italy

By Enes Kaplan

ANKARA (AA) - Turkiye's presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin on Tuesday discussed the Russian war on Ukraine with Ettore Sequi, the secretary-general of Italy’s Foreign Ministry.

During the meeting at the presidential complex in Ankara, they also discussed bilateral relations and developments in Libya, the Turkish Presidency said in a statement.

The officials talked about the latest developments in the war in Ukraine, its effects on food security, energy security, the global economy, along with the rise in the number of Ukrainian refugees.

They also agreed that the bilateral trade volume should reach the target of $30 billion in a short time, and the cooperation between the two countries in the fields of defense and energy will increasingly continue.

At least 1,892 civilians have been killed and 2,558 injured in Ukraine since Russia declared war Feb. 24, according to UN estimates, with the true figure feared to be much higher.

More than 4.6 million Ukrainians have fled to other countries, with millions more internally displaced, according to the UN refugee agency.