Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın strongly rejected claims that Türkiye sent cluster munitions to Ukraine during the Russian invasion last year.
“We don’t have cluster munitions, and we haven’t provided them to Ukraine,” Kalın told reporters on Saturday, adding that Ukrainians have also rejected the claims.
U.S.-based Foreign Policy magazine claimed that Ankara sent Kyiv a form of U.S.-designed cluster bomb late last year.
On Wednesday, the Ukrainian ambassador in Ankara, Vasyl Bodnar, rejected the claims, calling them unfounded rumors and propaganda.
NATO member Türkiye has close ties with Russia and Ukraine and has sought to balance relations through the war. It has criticized Moscow’s invasion and provided Ukraine with arms, including drones, which significantly deterred a Russian advance early in the conflict.
Ankara refuses to join the West in imposing sanctions on Russia and has cited its reliance on Russian energy supplies. In the meantime, Türkiye has closed its straits to prevent some Russian vessels from crossing through them. Turkish officials have been actively working to ensure a permanent cease-fire between the warring sides and leading a delicately balanced mediator role by keeping communication channels with both sides open, calling for diplomatic efforts, and stressing that the war can only “end at the negotiation table.”
The country has been aiming to help establish a humanitarian corridor for a long while as well.
Since Russia launched its military operation in February last year, Turkish mediation has facilitated a swap of some 200 prisoners in September and the signing of a deal between Türkiye, the United Nations, Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul that reopened specific Ukrainian ports for releasing grain that had been stuck for months, effectively fending off worsening a global food crisis.
Last week, Erdoğan discussed with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy issues related to humanitarian assistance, the grain corridor, and Türkiye’s readiness to contribute to the peace process diplomatically.
