inaugural visit
Scholz and Erdogan call for a ceasefire in Ukraine
Chancellor Olaf Scholz traveled to Ankara for talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Photo: Michael Kappeler/dpa
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Chancellor Olaf Scholz traveled to Ankara for his inaugural visit. Of course, the war in Ukraine is also at the top of the agenda in talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have jointly called for a ceasefire in the Russian war in Ukraine.
“We are completely in agreement that there must be a ceasefire as soon as possible,” said Scholz on Monday during his first visit to Turkey. There must also be safe corridors for civilians immediately. Erdogan emphasized: “We will continue to strive for a permanent ceasefire.” There was agreement that diplomatic efforts must be continued.
Together, Scholz and Erdogan appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin: “Hold on.” It is clear, said Scholz: “Every day, with every bomb, Russia is moving away from the world community that we form together.” The sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine are not in question.
Erdogan does not rule out arms purchases from Russia
However, Erdogan did not fundamentally rule out further arms purchases from Russia. Erdogan said it was too early to make a statement and one had to see what the future would bring. Turkey wants to maintain its relations with both Russia and Ukraine.
The NATO country Turkey acquired the Russian S-400 missile defense system in 2017 and thus drew criticism from the alliance. The United States had imposed sanctions under then-President Donald Trump for this reason. Turkey was also excluded from an important armaments project, the development of the F-35 fighter jet.