Turkish Defense Minister calls for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine

Turkish and Ukrainian Defense Ministers Hulusi Akar and Aleksey Reznikov had a telephone conversation during which the Turkish minister called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. This was reported by the press service of the Turkish Ministry of Defense.

“The Turkish Minister of Defense during the talks emphasized the importance of establishing an immediate ceasefire to prevent further loss of life and restore peace and stability in the region,” says in the message.

During the talks, Akar also said that Turkey will continue to contribute to peace and humanitarian assistance. According to the Turkish Defense Minister, as part of the grain deal, 17 tons of food have already been sent from Ukraine to countries in need. It is important that this initiative continue to operate smoothly in the future, he stressed.

Earlier today, tripartite talks were held between the Ombudsmen of Russia, Ukraine and Turkey, and the meeting was also attended by Speaker of the Turkish Parliament Mustafa Sentop. Russian representative Tatyana Moskalkova said that during the talks, an important thesis “about the need for a ceasefire” was voiced. She also applied to Shentop with a request to stop supplying weapons to Ukraine.

Later, the speaker of the Turkish parliament said that Turkey would continue to make efforts for a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Russia’s special operation in Ukraine began on February 24, 2022. President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin called the protection of the inhabitants of Donbass, as well as the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine, its goals. During the special operation, Russian troops took full control of the LPR, as well as most of the DPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. Subsequently, these territories became part of Russia, and on October 19 martial law was introduced in the regions.

January 5 Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed in honor of the Nativity of Christ, introduce a ceasefire for 36 hours from noon on January 6 to the end of January 7 in the zone of the special operation. The head of state noted that a large number of Orthodox Christians live in the areas of hostilities, so he called on the Ukrainian side to also declare a ceasefire. Kyiv rejected this proposal and continued shelling, including civilians.