The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, held a telephone conversation this Friday with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
The office of the Turkish head of state announced that the two leaders discussed improving bilateral relations and ending the war in Ukraine.
Erdogan reiterated Ankara’s willingness to do its part to peacefully resolve the war in Ukraine.
Turkey has close relations with Ukraine and Russia and has sought to balance ties during the war, rejecting Western sanctions against Moscow while criticizing the Russian occupation and supplying Kiev with drones.
Along with the United Nations, Turkey brokered the July deal to unblock Ukrainian wheat exports from its Black Sea ports.
Ankara’s relationship with Russia is complex, with the two countries cooperating closely on energy supplies while at odds over Syria, Libya and Azerbaijan.