Turkey’s condemnation of the Russian invasion as well as its mediation efforts have been noted

The European Commission has noted Ankara’s efforts to mediate between Russia and Ukraine, as well as their condemnation of the invasion, Commission spokesperson Peter Stano told the Cyprus News Agency.  The EC also encouraged Turkey to cooperate with the EU in the context of its response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“Overall, Turkey has spoken out strongly, condemning the Russian aggression and supporting the territorial integrity of Ukraine and has also cosponsored the UNGA resolution” Stano noted. “These are important steps, which we welcome” he added.

“We have noted efforts made by Turkey to maintain relations and mediate among the two sides, as shown in Antalya and we continue to engage with Turkey and all our partners explaining the EU’s response to Russian aggression and encouraging cooperation in this context," the spokesperson said.

Responding to a question on whether EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell received the letter sent by Cypriot Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides regarding Turkey’s alignment with EU sanctions on Russia, including the closing of its airspace to Russian aircraft, Stano said that “we never comment in public on communication between Mr. Borrell's office and partners”.

“If Mr. Borrell receives a letter he always responds in an appropriate manner, but we do not provide comments on such diplomatic correspondence” he added.