Erdogan: Türkiye plays key role in Ukraine settlement

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Türkiye has become a key country in the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis since the start of Russia's war in the country.

Türkiye strictly complies with the Montreux Convention regulating the rules of navigation in the Black Sea straits, which prevented the conflict from spreading to the Black Sea basin, TASS quotes Erdogan as addressing the 14^th Ambassadors Conference in Ankara broadcasted by the TRT TV channel.

"Türkiye has been a key country in resolving the crisis since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine. The negotiations [on Ukraine in March 2022] that we organised were an attempt to stop the bloodshed. The Black Sea Grain Initiative prevented a crisis that could have cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Türkiye’s position is clear and principled. We do not want to see more blood and tears. Spreading the war to the Black Sea basin would be a catastrophe for the entire region. By clearly observing the Montreux Convention, we have not allowed the tragedy to spread," Erdogan said.