Erdogan: Situation in Donbas should be settled by peaceful means

14:19, 10.03.2016 1 min read

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he backs settlement of the situation in the eastern part of Ukraine exclusively due to the diplomatic means and underlined the importance to implement Minsk Agreements by all conflicting sides.

"We believe that the problems in the east of Ukraine may be resolved only through diplomatic and peaceful way. So we back the Minsk process in this regard," he said during a joint press conference with President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko in Ankara following the talks of the delegations of both states on Wednesday.

The Turkey's head of state stressed how it is important to achieve a mutual ceasefire, to withdraw heavy weapons from the contact line in Donbas and to return to Ukraine a control on the state border.

"Russia said it came to Syria under invitation of the local administration, so who invited it [Russia] to Ukraine? I wonder how did they motivate it on the international level? They have a logic according to which 'I'm right because I'm strong'," Erdogan said.