Russia, Ukraine exchanged 200 prisoners of war under Turkiye's initiative: Erdogan
22 Sep 2022 11:19am
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan - Photo from Sinar archive
Erdogan told reporters in New York City that the prisoner exchange under Turkiye's mediation was an "important step" toward ending the war between the two countries, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.
He said efforts to establish peace between Russia and Ukraine continue.
The president also thanked his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy adding, "I would also like to thank all my friends who contributed to this process."
Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin hailed the exchange on Twitter saying, "This exchange, which took place as a result of the intense diplomatic traffic of our President is one of the most important results of the peace diplomacy pursued by our country.
"Turkiye always favors peace," he said.
Previously, Erdogan told both Putin and Zelenskyy that "there is no winner in a war that ends in the deaths of people."
The president said that Turkiye has followed a balanced policy between Russia and Ukraine since the war started in February and favors listening to both presidents at the negotiation table in Turkiye. - Bernama
