UPDATE - Turkish president to speak with Russian, Ukrainian leaders on Wednesday

ADDS MORE QUOTES FROM TURKISH PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESMAN

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will speak with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts over the phone on Wednesday, a government official said Tuesday.

Speaking in a televised interview, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said Türkiye is continuing its "intense diplomacy with both sides" amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

“Indeed, our relevant ministers, foreign and defense ministers, and other colleagues are maintaining talks with their counterparts from both sides," Kalin added.

He also said that Türkiye has been the only country to bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiation table "meaningfully."

"Türkiye is the only country that could make this happen at this capacity," he said.

Türkiye, internationally praised for its unique mediator role between Russia and Ukraine, has repeatedly called on Moscow and Kyiv to end the war through negotiations.

Evaluating the last year which just came to an end, Kalin said that 2022 was a year of "normalization" for Türkiye.

It was also a "very comprehensive foreign policy year" for Türkiye, he added.

On the recent tripartite meeting between Türkiye, Russia and Syria, Kalin said that more meetings between officials of the three countries are expected in the coming months.

"Our main concern (in Syria) is for the war to not continue, to stop the terrorist attacks originating from Syria, which pose a threat to Türkiye, and to prevent the humanitarian crisis from deepening. When considering these three points, our perspective (on Syria) remains the same. It has not changed," he said.

Emphasizing that without Türkiye's counterterrorism operations in Syria, a terror corridor would have been established in the region, Kalin stressed that "Syria must be cleared of terrorist organizations and a safe return must be provided for refugees. The contribution of the meetings with Syria is of great importance for us."

Asked about the Assad regime's approach to eliminating PKK/PYD/YPG terrorists from the region as well as the safe return of Syrian refugees, he said there have been "positive signals" in this regard.

On a possible meeting between President Erdogan and Syria's Bashar al-Assad, Kalin said it is too early to say anything about it as it depends on the process of the talks.

He further emphasized Türkiye's support to the Syrian opposition and reminded that they play a "key role" in Syria's future.

The Turkish presidential spokesman also commented on the protests in Iran and defined them as "saddening and concerning."

“The Iranian administration also entered into an accounting. This is about the morality police. There was a discussion within the system about it. I hope it evolves into a structure that protects fundamental rights and freedoms. I see that the Iranian administration has a determination in this direction,” he added.

However, he did express displease over Iran's pro-Armenia rhetoric and said that Türkiye talks about it with Iranian authorities.

Asked about Sweden and Finland's NATO accession bids, he reaffirmed his country's expectation of "concrete steps" from the Nordic countries against terrorist organizations.

"NATO is a security alliance. Therefore, it is not possible for NATO to carry out its mission without ensuring the security of all its members. The inclusion of another country without a member's security concerns is also contrary to the NATO acquis," he added.

Kalin also responded to reports of Athens' plans to extend Greece’s territorial waters around the island of Crete to 12 nautical miles, and noted that such a move would lead to Türkiye's "objection, opposition and fierce resistance."

"It is impossible for us to accept this, and it will have serious consequences for Greece. We expect them not to resort to such a path. If they take steps in this direction, we will not let it go unanswered," he said.

He expressed hope for the Greek side not to resort to such a move, as it would not benefit them in any way.

"If it is a policy of tension with Türkiye, it would not benefit (them) either. We are not in favor of tensions with Greece in this sense," he stressed.

In the mid-1990s, Greece had attempted to extend its territorial waters in the Aegean Sea to 12 nautical miles but scuttled the plan after Türkiye declared that such a move would be a casus belli, or cause for war.

Türkiye, which has the longest continental coastline in the Eastern Mediterranean, has rejected the maritime boundary claims of Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, stressing that the excessive claims violate the sovereign rights of both Türkiye and the Turkish Cypriots.

Turkish leaders have repeatedly stressed that Ankara is in favor of resolving all outstanding problems in the region, including maritime disputes, through international law, good neighborly relations, dialogue and negotiations.