Anatolia news agency quoted Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu as saying that dialogue between Russia and Ukraine is ongoing, stressing the need for a negotiated peace acceptable to both countries.
Speaking about Russia and Ukraine, Cavusoglu said at the European seminar in Slovenia: “There is a constant dialogue and we are doing our best.”
On the same occasion, the Turkish Foreign Minister said that his country “supports Kyiv more than many NATO allies, and at the same time is negotiating with Russia,” stressing that Ankara stands for the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Cavusoglu explained that his country “continues dialogue with the Kyiv and Moscow administrations through various channels”, noting that “these channels have existed from the very beginning and will continue to exist from time to time.”
Regarding the grain export agreement, the minister indicated that as of Sunday, 56 ships had loaded 1.3 million tons of grain.
On July 22, during a meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and the UN signed the “Document on the Initiative for the Safe Delivery of Grain and Food from Ukrainian Ports”.
In response to Turkey’s “assertions” of supporting the continuation of the war by increasing trade with Russia, Cavusoglu referred to his country’s “implementation of the Montreux Convention on the Transit of Warships through the Turkish Straits in Time of Wars and its closure.” its airspace to Russian military aircraft.
In this context, he clarified that Turkey, in principle, did not participate in unilateral sanctions, “so our trade with Russia continues, but we never allow Russia to circumvent sanctions.”
Source: Anatolia