Turkey has recently stepped up diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement on the situation in the Black Sea and is holding talks with the parties in an effort to reconcile their positions.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said this at a joint press conference with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov in Baku.
“Our work is currently continuing, with particular attention being paid to the Black Sea. We are holding talks with the parties on this issue and have put forward proposals. We have received responses from the parties and are working to reconcile their positions so that a mutually acceptable approach can be developed on this basis,” Fidan said.
According to him, Turkey believes that common ground for a compromise can be found if the parties demonstrate the necessary political will and goodwill.
“We have recently intensified our efforts to reach an agreement. We hope that the necessary initiatives will allow us to bring this process to a conclusion. As our President has stressed from the very beginning, even the worst peace is better than war itself. Turkey will continue to make every possible effort for peace,” the Turkish Foreign Minister said.
Fidan also drew attention to the growing number of attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea. He said that since the beginning of the war, Turkey has made significant efforts to prevent hostilities from spreading across the Black Sea, including through strict implementation of the Montreux Convention and the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
He stressed that the spread of the war into the Black Sea and threats to the lives of Turkish citizens and the activities of Turkish companies are unacceptable.
Fidan also said that the nature of the Russian-Ukrainian war has changed over the past year, effectively shifting from a war of attrition to a “war of destruction”.
“Over the past year, the war has effectively transformed from a war of attrition into a war of destruction. There are now virtually no facilities that are not being targeted... We can also see that the number of civilian casualties is continuing to rise,” Fidan said.
According to him, further escalation must be stopped to prevent even more severe consequences.
The Turkish Foreign Minister also warned of the risk of the war spreading further geographically, including to other European countries.
