* Photo: TCCB / Murat Çetinmühürdar
Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte and President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met in Turkey's capital city of Ankara yesterday (March 22). The leaders addressed the reporters at a press conference at the Presidential complex.
The meeting came amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Since the war broke out, Erdoğan has met Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz and Poland's President Andrzej Duda.
As reported by the Financial Times, Prime Minister Rutte "praised" Erdoğan, thanking him for his "key role" in efforts to secure a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. He reportedly said that he is "really, really impressed" by his efforts to act as a mediator between the two sides.
As part of the country's diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire and permanent peace in the region, Turkey's Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu also met Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Russia's capital Moscow and Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Ukraine's Lviv on March 16 and 17. The three foreign ministers also held a tripartite meeting on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in southern Turkey on March 10.
'Turkey implements the UN sanctions'
Speaking ahead of a NATO meeting this week, Prime Minister Rutte said that "Turkey is of enormous political and military importance to the alliance ... Turkey is playing a key role in relation to this conflict".
Rutte was also asked whether Turkey should take a tougher stance on Russia economically. He said that the country was "in a special position because of the geographical spot on the world map", adding:
"We would very much favor for Turkey to implement all the sanctions but we also have to be happy with the fact that Turkey is now playing its diplomatic role and its leadership role in trying to end the conflict".
As reported by Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), on the question regarding Turkey not applying the same sanctions as the European Union (EU) over Russia's military campaign in Ukraine, Rutte said that Ankara is "implementing the United Nations (UN) sanctions".
As EU countries, Rutte said they keep supplying Ukraine with humanitarian support and medicine, adding, "We also have to be very clear that a no-fly zone or boots on the ground from NATO in Ukraine is not possible. Because it will bring us (NATO) in direct confrontation with Russia".
Emphasizing that Turkey "is an important partner" for the Netherlands, he said the countries have "close political, cultural, economic ties".
'We are aware of the difficulties'
Erdoğan, on his part, also stressed the necessity of continuing diplomatic efforts to end the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
"We are aware of the difficulties of the conditions (Russia-Ukraine war), but we will continue our sincere efforts, acknowledging that diplomacy is the only way out," said Erdoğan at the press conference.
Erdoğan said that Turkey has taken a "clear stance" since the very beginning of the crisis in Ukraine, calling for common sense to prevail.
Noting that more than 3 million Ukrainians have fled their country since the start of the war, Erdoğan said his contacts with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia's President Vladimir Putin continue.
The President said that he expressed Turkey's readiness to support a permanent ceasefire during his talks with Prime Minister Rutte.
Regarding reports of mines drifting from Odessa to the Black Sea, he said, "Our Ministry of National Defense is taking all sorts of measures; will keep doing whatever is necessary. Don't be concerned about it".
Emphasis on 'common will, cooperation'
On relations with the Netherlands, Erdoğan said that the two countries "have common will to improve cooperation as NATO allies".
Commenting on relations with the EU, he said, "We expect the EU to urgently open the membership negotiation chapters and initiate negotiations on the Customs Union, without capitulating its vicious interests".
He later voiced hopes that the NATO military alliance will play a key role toward a world dominated by peace. Ahead of NATO's extraordinary leaders' summit later this week, Erdoğan called on members "to show solidarity, and be together when it comes to the defense industry".
What happened?
Earlier on February 24, explosions were reported in several Ukrainian provinces, including the capital Kyiv, after Russia's President Vladimir Putin announced a 'special military operation' in the Donbas region.
Tensions had started escalating late last year when Ukraine, the US and its allies accused Russia of amassing tens of thousands of troops on the border with Ukraine. They claimed Russia was preparing to invade its western neighbor, which was consistently rejected by Moscow.
Defying threats of sanctions by the West, Moscow officially recognized Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states in late February, followed by the start of a military operation in Ukraine on February 24.
President Vladimir Putin said the operation aims to protect people "subjected to genocide" by Kyiv and to "demilitarize and de-Nazify" Ukraine, while calling on the Ukrainian army to lay down its arms.
CLICK - bianet news on Russia's invasion of Ukraine
The Russia-Ukraine war, which started on February 24 with the invasion of Russia has drawn international condemnation, led to financial restrictions on Moscow, and spurred an exodus of global firms from Russia.
At least 925 civilians have been killed in Ukraine, while nearly 1,500 others have been injured, according to the UN estimates. Over 3.5 million people have also fled to neighboring countries. (SD)
