UN chief briefed Turkish president on his meetings with Putin and Zelensky

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a phone conversation with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the presidency’s media office said Saturday, where they discussed developments in the war in Ukraine.

Guterres briefed Erdogan about his meetings this week in Moscow and Kyiv, according to a statement from the Turkish Communications Directorate.

During the call, Erdogan said that Turkey is ready to support the UN-led work on both evacuations and humanitarian aid.

Stating that they will continue to encourage both Ukraine and Russia to act in common sense for reconciliation, Erdogan said that they will pursue peace, according to the statement.

Guterres said via Twitter on Friday that the UN would redouble its efforts to save lives and reduce human suffering in Ukraine.

His tweet came after his visit to Ukraine and meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday following a visit to Moscow where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.

The Turkish president has previously held phone calls with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts with the hope of meeting them both in Istanbul to end the conflict.

Turkey has a unique profile and position, as a NATO member that also has maritime borders with both Ukraine and Russia. Turkey is also Russia’s largest trade partner in the Middle East and North Africa region.

The country has both competed and cooperated with Russia through conflict zones in Syria, Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh in recent years.

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