Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed ongoing developments in Ukraine with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba and said Türkiye is working to provide humanitarian assistance following the dam disaster, diplomatic sources said Thursday.
Kuleba congratulated Fidan, who recently assumed office, and invited him to visit Ukraine.
Fidan took charge from his predecessor, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, on Monday. He was the head of Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) for 13 years.
“In our call, I congratulated my Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan on his appointment and updated him on the dire humanitarian and environmental consequences of the Kakhovka disaster. He affirmed that Türkiye is working on providing humanitarian assistance to alleviate the crisis,” Kuleba said on Twitter.
The Kakhovka dam along the Dnieper River in southern Ukraine was breached on Tuesday, flooding swathes of territory. Russia and Ukraine accused each other of the damage, which has affected nearby settlements.
Türkiye is one of the most active countries working to ensure a permanent cease-fire between Ukraine and Russia. Its delicately balanced act of assuming a role as a mediator by keeping communication channels with both warring sides open provides a glimmer of hope in diplomatic efforts to find a solution and achieve peace in the Ukraine crisis. With its unique position of friendly relations with Russia and Ukraine, Türkiye has won widespread praise for its push to end the war.
Since the beginning of the conflict, Ankara has offered to mediate between the two sides and host peace talks, underlining its support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
