Turkish President meets NATO chief, reiterates support for Russia-Ukraine ceasefire

Ankara, May 14 (IANS) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated his support for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Ankara, according to the Turkish presidency.

Erdogan on Tuesday said that Turkey is stepping up its diplomatic efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace, noting that he has spoken with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said a statement issued by the presidency.

Erdogan emphasised that Turkey maintains its neutral stance in the conflict and urged that the opportunity for peace should not be missed, Xinhua news agency reported.

On Turkey-NATO relations, Erdogan said that Turkey places great importance on NATO and will once again assume command of the NATO Kosovo Force. He also called for greater cooperation among NATO allies in the fight against terrorism.

Rutte, for his part, noted that his meeting with Erdogan comes as preparations are underway for next month's NATO summit.

"Turkey is a staunch and capable ally. We also discussed Ukraine, where there is a real window of opportunity for progress towards peace," he wrote in a post on social media platform X.

Earlier Erdogan emphasised that a comprehensive ceasefire is essential to create the proper environment for initiating talks and urged all parties to seize the current window of opportunity for a diplomatic dialogue aimed at ending the conflict.

He expressed his willingness to host the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Turkey on the occasion of peace negotiations.

--IANS

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