Turkey’s Erdogan calls for immediate Ukraine-Russia ceasefire, supports NATO enlargement

ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday called on Ukraine and Russia to immediately stop fighting and to “contribute to world peace”, adding Ankara was not opposed to NATO enlargement.

NATO member Turkey shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia and has good ties with both. Under a 1936 pact, Ankara on Monday said it was closing its Black Sea straits during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, limiting the passage of some Russian ships from the Mediterranean.

Asked about Ukraine’s bid for European Union membership at a news conference in Ankara, Erdogan said Turkey, an EU candidate for decades, would support any enlargement of NATO and the EU.

Erdogan called on the bloc to show the “same sensitivity” it showed for Kyiv’s membership bid for Turkey’s application, and slammed member states for being “not sincere”. “Will you put Turkey on your agenda when someone attacks (us) too?” he said.

(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu and Ezgi Erkoyun; Editing by Catherine Evans)