By Ertugrul Subasi
ANKARA (AA) - Turkish Parliament President Numan Kurtulmus reiterated calls for peace in Ukraine as he hosted his Ukrainian counterpart Ruslan Stefanchuk in Ankara on Tuesday.
Kurtulmus met Stefanchuk, who paid an official visit to Türkiye. Following a one-on-one meeting, they spoke to the press.
“From the very beginning, Türkiye has been making great efforts for the cessation of the hostilities between Russia and Ukraine, ensuring Ukraine's territorial integrity, and establishing a lasting, dignified peace," the Turkish parliament speaker said. The conflict began in February 2022.
He said Ankara has developed close relations with Kyiv, and highlighted its support for Ukraine's development.
Türkiye’s main goal is to end this war at the earliest, and ensure the reconstruction of Ukraine, he said, and warned that the continuation of the war could escalate conflict between the West and Russia.
Kurtulmus underlined the importance to further strengthen relations not only between governments but also between parliaments, saying Türkiye supports Ukraine's struggle on all international platforms, including the Crimea Platform.
Stefanchuk thanked Kurtulmus for hosting him and his delegation, and congratulated him on the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye.
He said the level of bilateral cooperation is commendable, emphasizing that strong cooperation between parliaments is an important part of good relations.
Expressing that there are common historical values between both the nations, he thanked Türkiye for efforts and contributions towards achieving a lasting and just peace in Ukraine.
Türkiye, internationally praised for its unique mediator role between Ukraine and Russia, has time and again called on Kyiv and Moscow to end fighting through negotiations.
Türkiye first hosted a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers in the Mediterranean city of Antalya in March 2022.
The efforts were fruitful with significant results, such as the landmark grain deal and exchange of prisoners of war.
*Writing by Seda Sevencan