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Turkey: World Cannot Burn Bridge Connecting with Moscow. PHOTO/Reuters
According to him, Kiev needs more support to defend itself. So far, as a member of NATO, Turkey has good relations with Russia and Ukraine, and has been trying to mediate the month-long conflict.
Read: Zelensky: Russia Sows Deep Hate Among Ukrainians
“If everyone burns bridges with Russia, then who will talk to them at the end of the day,” Ibrahim Kalin told the Doha international forum.
“Ukraine needs to be supported in every possible way, so that they can defend themselves. But Russia’s case must be heard, one way or another, so that its complaints can be understood if it is not justified,” Kalin added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged the West to provide his country with tanks, planes and missiles to fend off Russian troops. The West has responded to the Russian invasion by imposing massive economic sanctions on Moscow.
Ankara says the Russian invasion is unacceptable, but opposes Western sanctions in principle and has not joined them. Turkey’s economy, already depressed by the December currency crisis, relies heavily on Russian energy, trade and tourism. And, since the war began on February 24, thousands of Russians have arrived in Turkey, seeing it as a safe haven from sanctions.
Read: Thousands of Russians in Prague hold demonstrations against Putin
Ahmet Burak Daglioglu, head of Turkey’s Investment Office, told the forum separately that several Russian companies were moving their operations to Turkey.
Asked at the panel about Turkey doing business with any person who could benefit President Vladimir Putin, he said: “We are not targeting, we are not pursuing, we are not after any investment or capital that has a question mark on it”.
Two superyachts linked to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich have docked at the Turkish resort. Western governments have targeted Abramovich and several other Russian oligarchs with sanctions as they seek to isolate Putin and his allies over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
(esn)
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