Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called for Russia and Ukraine to act with common sense and maintain dialogue in a call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, his office said on Friday.
Erdoğan and Putin also discussed peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Istanbul this week. Erdoğan said the "positive and constructive" talks had raised hopes for peace, the Turkish presidency said in a statement.
"Erdoğan, who stated that it was important for the sides to act with common sense and maintain dialogue, noted he wanted to cap off the peace efforts by bringing together Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky," it added.
Erdoğan also reiterated his offer to host Vladimir Putin and their Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky for talks to secure peace between Moscow and Kyiv, according to a statement from Turkiye's Communications Directorate.
Putin expressed thanks to Erdoğan for hosting the peace talks in Istanbul, the statement added.
Talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul this Tuesday were seen as a breakthrough in the push to halt hostilities that, according to the latest UN figures, have claimed the lives of at least 1,232 civilians and left 1,935 more injured since Feb. 24.
After the Istanbul meeting, a Ukrainian negotiator said Kyiv wants Turkiye among the countries that will be guarantors in any deal with Moscow.
Earlier this month, Turkiye also brought together the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers in its southern resort city of Antalya, the first meeting of senior government officials from the two sides since the start of the war.
