Erdoğan calls for respect for Russia's statement on Poland missile explosion

Photos: AA

Pointing fingers at Russia over the missile explosion in Poland would further escalate tensions, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said.

"I need to respect Russia's statement. In this regard, it is important for us that Russia says, 'This has nothing to do with us'," the president told a press conference today (November 16) on the sidelines of the G20 Bali Summit in Indonesia.

Late yesterday, a missile explosion near Poland's border with Ukraine killed two people.

"While we are endeavoring to bring Russia and Ukraine around the same table, there is no need to find any third partner to this war," Erdoğan added.

Meetings with Biden and others

Erdoğan yesterday met US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the summit.

Türkiye's bid to purchase F-16 jets from the US was among the issues Erdoğan discussed with Biden.

The US president told Erdoğan that his government will continue to support the potential sale of the jets to Türkiye, the Presidency Communications Directorate said in a statement after the meeting.

Biden thanked Erdogan for his efforts to help remove obstacles in the İstanbul grain deal and to resume exports from Ukraine's ports, the statement said.

More than 10 million tons of grain have been exported from Ukraine under the deal signed by Türkiye, Ukraine, Russia and Ukraine on July 22.

The US president also said that Türkiye is an "important actor" in Sweden's NATO accession process, it added.

Also, Biden conveyed his condolences to Erdogan over Sunday's deadly bomb attack in İstanbul.

At today's press conference, Erdoğan also said Biden had told him that there had been "favorable developments" regarding F-16 sales.

The president also met several other world leaders on the sidelines of the summit over the past two days, including President Emmanuel Macron of France, Germany's Prime Minister Olaf Scholz, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. (VK)