Germany eyes close coordination with Turkiye for peace in Ukraine

BERLIN (AA) - Germany on Monday underlined the importance of close cooperation with Turkiye to find a diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine.

“It’s is important for us to stay in close coordination with Turkiye, which is a NATO partner, and playing a great role,” deputy government spokesman Wolfgang Buchner told a news conference in Berlin.

“We need to work together to reach a cease-fire in Ukraine as soon as possible, and to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he added.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is paying his first official visit to Ankara on Monday, for talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on bilateral ties, regional issues, and diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

Following Turkiye’s efforts, Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers met in Antalya last week for their first face-to-face meeting since the war started on Feb. 24.

Russian and Ukrainian delegations are also holding a videoconference meeting on Monday, to discuss cease-fire, immediate withdrawal of troops and security guarantees.

At least 596 civilians have been killed and 1,067 injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, according to the UN, which has said that conditions on the ground make it difficult to verify the true number.

More than 2.8 million people have also fled to neighboring countries, said the UN refugee agency.