CHANGES HEADLINE, LEDE; ADDS DETAILS
By Beyza Binnur Donmez and Mumin Altas
ANKARA (AA) – The Turkish security summit on the Russian military intervention in Ukraine ended Thursday.
Chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the summit lasted almost two hours at the presidential complex.
Vice President Fuat Oktay, National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Guler, National Intelligence Organization head Hakan Fidan, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, and presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin attended the summit.
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was not able to attend due to his current visit to Kazakhstan.
Russian President Vladimir Putin early Thursday announced a military intervention in Ukraine just days after recognizing two separatist-held enclaves in eastern Ukraine. The recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk drew international condemnation and announcements of tougher sanctions on Moscow.
There were reports of explosions in several Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv, and several military vehicles reportedly crossed the border from Belarus into Ukraine.
In recent months Putin has amassed over 100,000 Russian troops around Ukraine, but repeatedly denied any intention of invading.