ISTANBUL (AP) – The presidents of Ukraine and Turkey stressed the importance of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the weakening of tensions in eastern Ukraine and security in the Black Sea after a meeting on Saturday in Istanbul.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Turkey has taken place amid renewed tensions in eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian troops and Russia-backed separatists have been fighting since 2014. Russia has strengthened its troops along the border and warned Ukraine against trying to retake territory controlled by separatists. Kiev rejects the allegation that he is preparing for an insult.
The Russian military build-up on the Ukrainian border has raised concerns in the United States and Europe.
“I have briefed the Turkish parties on the situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine – Donbass and Crimea – in particular on the violation of human rights on the peninsula and its ongoing militarization,” Zelenskyy told a joint news conference. .
In a visit to troops, Zelenskyy said the violations of a ceasefire were increasing in July. Separatist authorities also accused Ukrainian forces of violating the ceasefire.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for the continuation of a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine and for both sides to find a solution to the conflict through dialogue.
“We hope that the worrying escalation we have recently observed in the field will end as soon as possible,” he said.
Erdogan said Turkey “strongly defends Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty” and reiterated Turkey’s decision not to recognize Russia’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014 in Russia. Crimean Tatars have ethnic ties with Turkey.
Zelenskyy said Turkey’s support was important for the ‘recovery’ of Ukraine’s territories.
The two leaders also discussed the security of the Black Sea, which borders both countries.
“Our fundamental goal is that the Black Sea will continue to be a sea of peace and cooperation,” Erdogan said. “Under no circumstances do we want to increase tensions in our shared geography.”
Erdogan added that Turkey’s cooperation with Ukraine does not mean that it is taking a stand against any other country. Turkey is a member of NATO, but Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin have forged a close personal relationship, concluding energy, defense and trade agreements. They also ended up in other conflicts from other parties, including Syria, Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Turkish and Russian presidents spoke by telephone on Friday, discussing Ukraine and other issues. The Kremlin said Putin had expressed concern that Ukraine in eastern Ukraine had recently resumed dangerous provocations on the contact line.
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Yuras Karmanau in Kiev contributed.