UPDATE - Turkish FM discusses Ukraine with European counterparts

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS; CHANGES HEADLINE, SPOT, LEDE

By Handan Kazanci and Merve Aydogan

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkiye's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Friday discussed the situation in Ukraine with his British, Romanian, French, Dutch, German, Bulgarian and Lithuanian counterparts on the sidelines of an extraordinary meeting of NATO's top diplomats in Brussels.

“Ahead of NATO Meeting in Brussels, discussed latest situation in #Ukraine & bilateral relations w/Foreign Secretary (Liz Truss),” Cavusoglu wrote on Twitter, sharing two photos from the meeting.

Later, Cavusoglu met with Romania’s Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu.

“Discussed latest developments in #Ukraine w/FM @BogdanAurescu of #Romania & thanked for their support in evacuating our citizens,” he said in another tweet.

Also on Twitter, Cavusoglu said he met with his Dutch counterpart Wopke Hoekstra "and reaffirmed our support for #Ukraine's territorial integrity."

He later exchanged views on the latest situation in Ukraine with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock. “Discussed our common areas of cooperation," the Turkish minister said.

He also shared photos of meetings with his counterparts from France, Belgium and Lithuania.

"Discussed the situation in #Ukraine with my colleagues @JY_LeDrian of France, @TGenchovskaMFA of Bulgaria, @GLandsbergis of Lithuania and @Sophie_Wilmes of Belgium," he said.

Russia's war on Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, has been met with international outrage, with the European Union, US, and UK, among others, implementing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.

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

In the second round of peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv on Thursday, the two sides agreed on creating humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians.

Turkiye has good ties with both Russia and Ukraine and has called for a peaceful resolution.