Turkish, US presidents discuss Russia's war on Ukraine

By Burak Bir

ANKARA (AA) - Turkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his US counterpart Joe Biden held a phone conversation on Thursday, discussing several issues, including Russia's war on Ukraine.

During the phone talk, the two leaders discussed bilateral ties as well as the Russia-Ukraine crisis, according to a statement by Turkiye's Communications Directorate.

It is important that Turkiye is in a facilitator position in search for a solution, in case the Russia-Ukraine crisis deepens further, Erdogan told Biden.

Even organizing a tripartite meeting of foreign ministers of Turkiye, Russia, and Ukraine in Antalya is a diplomatic victory by itself, he stressed.

Erdogan also noted that it is time to lift all unjust sanctions on Turkiye in the defense industry.

The foreign ministers of Turkiye, Ukraine, and Russia met early Thursday with the aim of reaching a lasting peace as the Russia-Ukraine war has entered its third week.

The high-level tripartite meeting began at 11.20 a.m. local time (0820GMT) on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkiye and lasted for more than an hour.