Erdoğan offers dam crisis mediation in calls to Putin, Zelenskyy
A view shows a flooded area after the Nova Kakhovka dam breached, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kherson, Ukraine, June 7, 2023. (Reuters Photo)


Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday proposed an international commission to probe the destruction of Ukraine's Khakhovka dam, his office reported.

His tabled the proposal with separate phone calls with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Russia's Vladimir Putin.

Moscow and Kyiv have traded blame for the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam, which was ripped open early Tuesday after a reported blast.

"President Erdoğan said that a commission could be established with the participation of experts from the warring parties, the United Nations and the international community, including Türkiye, for a detailed investigation into the explosion at Kakhovka dam," his office said after the call with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy.

In a second call to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Erdoğan said that a comprehensive investigation was needed into the destruction of the on the frontline between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

Erdoğan reiterated that an international commission that includes the U.N. and Türkiye could be formed to look into the issue, a statement from his office said.

The Kakhovka dam sits on the Dnipro River, which feeds a reservoir providing cooling water for the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, Europe's largest, some 150 kilometers (90 miles) upstream.

The destruction of the dam caused torrents of water to pour into the Dnipro, pushing thousands of civilians to flee the flooded areas while raising fears of an ecological disaster.

NATO member Türkiye, which has good ties with Moscow and Kyiv.