People setting up road barricades in Odessa, southern Ukraine. (Photo: AA)
Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the latest developments in Ukraine over the phone yesterday (March 16).
The phone call comes as Çavuşoğlu is set to visit Ukraine today amid Ankara's ongoing diplomatic efforts regarding the war.
Earlier yesterday, the minister met Sergei Lavrov, his counterpart from Russia, in Moscow.
Meanwhile, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement that Blinken and Çavuşoğlu discussed "the Kremlin's war against Ukraine and ongoing diplomatic efforts to stop President Putin's war of choice."
He added that Blinken "provided an update on US support to the people of Ukraine and efforts to hold Putin accountable for his unprovoked and brutal war."
The US top diplomat also thanked Turkey for "its commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as its efforts to assist Ukraine in its time of need."
Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24, has drawn international condemnation and led to financial sanctions on Moscow.
At least 726 civilians have been killed and 1,174 injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, according to monitoring groups.
More than 3 million refugees have fled to neighboring countries, according to the UN.
Statement on Crimea
Ankara has repeated its policy against recognizing Russia's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula on the occasion of its eighth anniversary.
"Ukraine's Autonomous Republic of Crimea was annexed by the Russian Federation following the illegitimate referendum held on 16 March 2014," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement yesterday.
"Turkey and the international community do not recognize this act, which is a clear violation of international law," said the statement.
It underlined that Ankara would continue to closely follow developments in Crimea, particularly "the situation of Crimean Tatars, who are among principal constituents of the Peninsula."
"On this occasion, we reaffirm our support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, a strategic partner of Turkey," it added.
In 2014, Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, a move widely viewed as illegal by the international community, including Turkey and the UN General Assembly. (VK)
