Russia-Ukraine tension should be solved through dialogue: Turkish official

TBILISI, Georgia

Turkiye believes that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine should be resolved through peaceful means, negotiation, and dialogue, Turkiye’s parliament speaker said on Monday.

“Of course, this tension between Russia and Ukraine is not just a tension between the two countries, but as we all see, the whole world is involved,” Mustafa Sentop told reporters at the Turkish Embassy in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi.

This situation poses serious risks both to the region and Europe in a broader sense, and perhaps to the whole world, Sentop added.

"Turkiye has a very good ground for dialogue with both Ukraine and Russia,” he said, adding that there will be mediation between the two countries to resolve the conflict through negotiation and dialogue, according to international law and agreements.

Underlining that Turkiye is working hard to bring together the leaders of Russia and Ukraine, he said it would be better to act carefully to prevent tension and provocation.

Turkiye has repeatedly shown its willingness to mediate between Ukraine and Russia to resolve the conflict via diplomatic means, with President Recep Erdogan saying a trilateral meeting could be held in Istanbul with the participation of leaders of both countries.

Tensions have been rising dramatically in eastern Ukraine, with a growing number of cease-fire violations, multiple shelling incidents, and evacuation of civilians from the pro-Russian separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Western countries say Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine, prompting fears that it could be planning a military offensive against its ex-Soviet neighbor.

Moscow has repeatedly denied any plan to invade Ukraine and instead accused Western countries of undermining Russia’s security through NATO’s expansion toward its borders.

Bilateral relations

Stressing that the regional cooperation between Turkiye and Georgia is at a high level, Sentop said Georgia’s biggest trading partner is Turkiye.

“Despite the pandemic, we have seen a significant increase in our trade volume, which has risen from $1.6 billion to $2.1 billion,” he said.

He added that there are also strategic regional projects, including the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline, and Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline.

“When we consider that Georgia is a friend, ally, and strategic partner with Turkiye beyond its neighborhood, inter-parliamentary relations should be strengthened as well,” he said, adding that the relationship between the two countries will pave the way for regional peace and stability.

As part of Sentop’s official visit to Tbilisi, he held a closed-door meeting with Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, and later with Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.

Sentop also met with his Georgian counterpart Shalva Papuashvili, and they exchanged views on inter-parliamentary cooperation, bilateral relations, and regional and international developments.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar in Ankara