Erdoğan: Turkey could mediate between Russia, Ukraine

Turkey could mediate between Ukraine and Russia amid increasing tensions in the region, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said.

“It is our hope that this region does not become a region dominated by war,” Erdoğan pointed out. “Let this region walk into the future as a region dominated by peace.”

“It is our desire that the attitude in this matter develops in a positive direction. There could be a mediation about this, we will discuss this issue with them, we would like to have a share in the solution of this by developing these talks both with Ukraine and with Mr. Putin,” he added on his return from Turkmenistan.

Ukraine’s military intelligence said last week that Russia had amassed more than 92,000 troops around Ukraine’s borders and was preparing for an attack by the end of January or the beginning of February.

Ukraine, which wants to join the NATO military alliance, has blamed Moscow for supporting separatists in a conflict in its east since 2014.

Russia has said it suspects Ukraine of wanting to recapture separatist-controlled territory by force. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that Kyiv had no such plans and Russia’s rhetoric opposing Ukraine’s bid to join NATO was worrying.

Russian forces annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in February 2014, with Russian President Vladimir Putin formally dividing the region into two separate federal subjects of the Russian Federation the following month.

Turkey, a NATO member, has criticized Moscow’s annexation of Crimea and voiced support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity. The United States and United Nations General Assembly view the annexation as illegal as well.

Fighting between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists in Donbass has killed more than 13,000 people since 2014, according to the U.N.

The region is one of the several sources of friction between Russia and Ukraine.