Top Turkish, British officials discuss bilateral ties, regional issues

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) - Türkiye’s presidential spokesman and the UK prime minister's national security adviser discussed bilateral issues and global developments, including the Russia-Ukraine war, in a phone call on Wednesday.

Ibrahim Kalin and Tim Barrow exchanged views on the political and economic relations between Türkiye and the UK, Finland's NATO accession and Sweden's NATO bid, according to a statement by the Turkish presidency.

They expressed pleasure over the completion of Finland's NATO membership process and noted the constructive role played by Türkiye in this regard, the statement said, adding that Türkiye reiterated its expectation that Sweden would fulfill its commitments under the tripartite agreement signed between Ankara, Stockholm and Helsinki in June 2022.

The phone call also focused on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, with the officials underlining the importance of supporting Türkiye's diplomatic initiatives toward ending the war and returning to the negotiating table.

The two sides also welcomed the extension of the Black Sea grain export deal with Türkiye's mediation.

On July 22, Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed an agreement in Istanbul to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which had been paused in February due to Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Türkiye, internationally praised for its mediator role between Ukraine and Russia, has repeatedly urged Kyiv and Moscow to end the war through negotiations.

Kalin and Barrow also agreed to develop cooperation between the two countries in the defense industry field.