It would not be right for Russia to invade Ukraine, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Saturday, as Moscow continued to amass troops on its border with Kyiv.
Speaking to broadcaster CNN Türk, Çavuşoğlu said that given the uncertainty of the risk of a Russian invasion, Western countries must be sensitive about their rhetoric and statements that allude to war causing panic.
Noting that Western countries had previously warned of an invasion, the minister drew attention to the differing intelligence reports and added that Russian and Belarusian sources with whom Turkey is in contact deny the allegations.
Çavuşoğlu went on to say that while they do not expect a few meetings to completely resolve the tensions, taking confidence-building steps and understanding mutual concerns is vital.
“It would not be right for Russia to invade as this process is continuing.”
Still, he said that one should be prepared and emphasized that Turkey’s efforts with both Ukraine and Russia are continuing.
“We do not have an atmosphere of panic. We are in constant contact with our intelligence and other institutions,” Turkey’s top diplomat said.
Turkey has issued a warning against travel to eastern Ukraine amid increased concerns that a Russian invasion could be imminent.
"We advise our citizens to avoid travel to Ukraine's regions along its eastern borders unless they have to," the Foreign Ministry said.
Turkey is evaluating plans to evacuate nearly 25,000 citizens in Ukraine via land, air and sea in a "worst-case scenario," Çavuşoğlu said.
"We need to be prepared against all odds ... but we need to focus on defusing the tension," the minister said, mentioning that Turkish citizens in Ukraine were called one by one and told how to apply if needed.
Çavuşoğlu firmly underlined that Turkey’s aim is to prevent conflict.
“Let alone war, any tension affects all of us. It would affect the economy, energy security, tourism,” he said, adding that he would speak with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday.
Çavuşoğlu also held a phone call with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Sunday.
Kuleba tweeted that he had a “meaningful” conversation with Çavuşoğlu “about the security crisis and threats created by the Russian Federation in the Azov and Black Seas” that also touched on diplomatic ways to reduce tensions.
The foreign ministers also discussed advancing military-technical cooperation between Ukraine and Turkey.
Turkey has been closely following the developments and is in close contact with both Kyiv and Moscow. Ankara has also offered to mediate talks between them.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has accepted President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s invitation to visit Turkey amid the tensions and will make the trip once the pandemic and schedules allow, the Kremlin said.
Erdoğan also recently visited Kyiv and held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. While there he reiterated that Turkey stands by its decision not to recognize the annexation of Crimea and declared Ankara's support for Ukraine's Crimean Platform initiative.
Turkey shares the Black Sea with Ukraine and Russia. While forging cooperation on defense and energy, Turkey has opposed Moscow’s policies in Syria and Libya, as well as its annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. It has also sold sophisticated drones to Ukraine, angering Russia.
The Russian military movements have fueled concerns that Moscow is preparing to send forces into Ukraine. The Kremlin denies its troops are a threat but says they will remain as long as it sees fit.
Turkey has expressed that it is willing to mediate between the two sides if they accept. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has suggested holding the Minsk trilateral meeting in Turkey, which Ankara has welcomed, since the gathering cannot be held in Belarus due to tensions with other countries.
Despite Ukraine having accepted the idea of meeting with Russia through Turkish mediation, Çavuşoğlu said that no messages, positive or negative, had been received from Moscow so far.
