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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received today German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who arrived on an official visit to Ankara.
This is Scholz’s first official visit to Turkey since taking office in December 2021, and the talks focused on the war in Ukraine.
Ankara is playing a mediating role and has direct links with the two warring parties.
Turkey is an old economic ally of Kiev but relies heavily on Russian gas and its tourists for revenue.
Erdogan called Moscow’s attack on its pro-Western neighbor “unacceptable” but did not join Western sanctions on Russia.
While the German chancellor had visited Moscow before the start of the fighting and communicated with Putin, although Germany is already supplying weapons to Ukraine.
Local analyst Guenter Sufert said Scholz’s visit was aimed at keeping Ankara on its side.
“No one is asking Turkey to implement sanctions, but it should not open alternative channels to circumvent them,” Sufert told AFP.
According to him, Europeans are closely monitoring the arrival in Istanbul of Russians leaving the country from the conflict.
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