Status: 03/14/2022 5:48 p.m
Chancellor Scholz’s first visit to Turkey was determined by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The fighting must be ended quickly, said Scholz. President Erdogan stressed that diplomatic talks would continue.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has pushed tensions between the German government and the Turkish leadership into the background. After his inaugural visit to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke of unity – in condemning Russian aggression and the urgency of a ceasefire in Ukraine.
“We are completely in agreement that there must be a ceasefire as soon as possible,” said Scholz after the meeting with Erdogan. There must also be safe corridors for civilians immediately. Erdogan emphasized at the joint press conference: “We will continue our efforts to achieve a lasting ceasefire.”
Appeal to President Putin
It was agreed that diplomatic efforts must continue. Together, Scholz and Erdogan appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin: “Hold on.” With every day, with every bomb, Russia is moving further away from the world community, Scholz continued. The sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine are not in question.
Although Turkey is a NATO member, Erdogan is trying to remain as neutral as possible in the conflict. On the one hand, he clearly condemned the Russian invasion. And even before the invasion, he supported Ukraine with unmanned combat drones. On the other hand, Russia is an important trading partner of Turkey.
Ankara mediation without result
Accordingly, Ankara has already tried to mediate in the crisis. In Antalya, talks between Russia and Ukraine were held at a high level for the first time since the beginning of the war. However, the meeting between the two foreign ministers ended without any tangible result.