Turkish President Won't Sanction Russia

The Spokesperson for Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ibrahim Kalin, announced Friday that the Turkish government would not sanction Russia, instead of withholding talks with the Kremlin over the military situation in Ukraine.

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Kalin said that Ankara has no intention to take any measure; instead, it intends to keep the channel of trust open, saying that the purpose is to avoid any consequence over its own economy resulting from punitive measures.

The spokesperson indicated that the Turkish government is on the path of mediating between the two sides in the conflict for a peaceful resolution, or at least a ceasefire. On Friday, Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary-General, said that the bloc expects "all our allies to impose sanctions" on Russia, adding that he "conveyed this matter" with Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

On Thursday, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmitry Kuleba, in Antalya, which was their first contact after the beginning of the Russian special military operation in Turkey. Even without any agreement reached yet, Russian President Vladimir Putin underlined "certain positive developments" were made.

The Turkish President highlighted the talks as a diplomatic victory in the face of the ongoing situation. During his phone call with U.S. President Joe Biden, he noted Ankara's role as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia is vital for preventing the armed conflict from intensifying even further.