Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar stressed the need to urgently facilitate civilian evacuations from besieged Ukrainian port city of Mariupol in a phone call with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu, according to a statement by Turkey's Defense Ministry on Thursday.
The Turkish defense chief told Shoigu about the importance of reaching a cease-fire to help efforts for a diplomatic solution in Ukraine, as well as the "urgency of the safe evacuation of civilians, especially in Mariupol, from land or sea," the statement said.
Akar also reiterated Turkey's commitment to continue doing its part to ensure peace in the region.
The Russian war on Ukraine, which started on Feb. 24, has drawn international outrage, with the European Union, the United States and the United Kingdom, among others, implementing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.
According to the United Nations estimates, at least 1,611 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and 2,227 injured, while the true figure is feared to be far higher.
According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 4.3 million Ukrainians have fled to other countries, with millions more internally displaced.
