ISTANBUL (AP) – The presidents of Ukraine and Turkey stressed the importance of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the de-escalation of tensions in Eastern Ukraine and security in the Black Sea following a Saturday meeting in Istanbul.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Turkey came amid renewed tensions in Eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian armed forces and Russian-backed separatists have been fighting since 2014. Russia has reinforced its forces along the border and warned Ukraine against attempts to retake separatist-controlled territory. Kiev rejects claims that it is preparing for an offensive.
Russia’s military build-up on the Ukrainian border has given rise to concern in the United States and Europe.
“I informed the Turkish parties in detail about the situation in the temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine – Donbass and Crimea – in particular about the violation of human rights in the peninsula and the ongoing militarization,” Zelenskyy said at a joint press conference.
While visiting troops, Zelenskyy said the number of breaches of a July truce was on the rise. Separatist authorities have also accused the Ukrainian armed forces of violating the ceasefire.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pushed for a continuation of a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine and urged both sides to find a solution to the conflict through dialogue.
“We hope that the troubling escalation we have recently observed in the field will end as soon as possible,” he said.
Erdogan said Turkey “vigorously defended Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty” and reiterated Turkey’s decision not to recognize Russia’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. Crimean Tatars have ethnic ties to Turkey.
Zelenskyy said Turkey’s support was important to the “recovery” of the Ukrainian territories.
The two leaders also discussed the security of the Black Sea, which borders both countries.
“Our fundamental goal is for the Black Sea to remain a sea of peace and cooperation,” said Erdogan. “Under no circumstances do we want tensions in our shared geography to escalate.”
Erdogan added that Turkey’s cooperation with Ukraine did not mean it took a stand against other countries. Turkey is a NATO member, but Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin have forged a close personal relationship and signed energy, defense and trade deals. They have also fallen into other conflicts on both sides, including Syria, Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Turkish and Russian presidents spoke on the phone on Friday, discussing Ukraine and other issues. The Kremlin said Putin expressed concern that Ukraine “has recently resumed dangerous provocations on the contact line” in eastern Ukraine.
Yuras Karmanau in Kiev contributed.