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Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: "We are in complete agreement that there must be a ceasefire as soon as possible"
Photo: GUIDO BERGMANN/BPA HANDOUT/EPA
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has not fundamentally ruled out further arms purchases from Russia.
It is too early to make a statement and one must see what the future will bring, said Erdoğan on Monday at his meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Ankara.
Turkey wants to maintain its relations with both Russia and Ukraine.
The NATO country Turkey acquired the Russian S-400 missile defense system in 2017 and thus drew criticism from the alliance.
The United States had imposed sanctions under then-President Donald Trump for this reason.
Turkey was also excluded from an important armaments project, the development of the F-35 fighter jet.
Diplomatic efforts must continue
Turkey has established itself as a mediator in the Ukraine conflict.
The NATO country has close ties to Ukraine and Russia, and Ankara borders both countries in the Black Sea.
Erdoğan has repeatedly emphasized that he does not want to give up either partner and last week brought them together at foreign minister level for the first time since the beginning of the war.
At their meeting in Istanbul, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan jointly called for a ceasefire in the Russian war in Ukraine.
"We are completely in agreement that there must be a ceasefire as soon as possible," said Scholz on Monday during his first visit to Turkey.
There must also be safe corridors for civilians immediately.
Erdoğan emphasized: "We will continue our efforts to achieve a lasting ceasefire." There was agreement that diplomatic efforts must be continued.
Together, Scholz and Erdoğan appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin: "Hold on." It was clear, said Scholz: "Every day, with every bomb, Russia is moving away from the circle of the world community that we are forming together." The sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine are not in question.
muk/dpa