Poland's Tusk asks Turkey to partake in efforts towards peace in Europe
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about Turkey taking joint responsibility for the peace process and security in Europe.
On Wednesday afternoon, the two held talks at the Presidential Palace in Ankara.
When giving statements to the press following the meeting, Tusk said: "I approached President Erdogan with a clear proposal for Turkey to take as much joint responsibility as possible for the peace process, guarantees of stability, and security in our entire region."
Earlier, the Prime Minister’s Office had announced that Tusk’s visit to Turkey was related to Poland’s ongoing presidency of the Council of the European Union and the "current geopolitical situation." The statement said that the main topics of discussion would include the war in Ukraine, allied cooperation, bilateral relations in political and economic terms, and Turkey-EU cooperation.
Tusk praised "good Polish-Turkish relations" at the press conference and said that he and Erdogan had confirmed "that Polish-Turkish friendship and close cooperation in the field of defence, in the economy, in resolving geopolitical dilemmas have very strong and lasting foundations."
He added that Poland's position on the war in Ukraine is "obvious" and "known from the first days of Russian aggression against Ukraine," and that both Poland and Turkey want "a ceasefire and peace as soon as possible."
"Turkey and Poland want a just peace to be concluded, we all know what a just peace is," Tusk said.
He added that both countries "positively" assess the effects of the first phase of American-Ukrainian talks held in Saudi Arabia and that now "the only question mark is how Russia will react."
Erdogan told reporters that Turkey and Poland command "the two largest land armies in NATO and Europe and are key allies on the alliance’s eastern and southern flanks."
"Our countries have an irreplaceable role in creating a security network in Europe. Together with my friend Tusk, we also assessed the future of European security."
The Turkish president said that during his talks with Tusk, they "confirmed mutual willingness to develop and expand the scope of relations" between the two countries.
According to him, Polish-Turkish relations "are based on strong traditions spanning over 600 years."
"Today, we are allied and strategic partners who can openly discuss any topic," he said.
He also spoke about the fact that in his view, both countries have "strong potential in areas such as trade, investment, and interpersonal contacts."
The talks also covered relations between Turkey and the European Union. Erdogan said that the current discussions highlight the importance of this cooperation, and that EU membership remains a strategic goal for his country.
"The EU can prevent a loss of power and influence, and even reverse this process, only by accepting Turkey as a full member," he said.
He added that he hopes for increased Polish support in Turkey’s efforts to join the EU.
Tusk’s visit to Turkey came shortly after Turkish authorities signalled the possibility of sending peacekeeping forces to Ukraine.
"We had the opportunity to talk about the steps being taken to end the war in Ukraine," Erdogan said.
Erdogan said that Turkey is "ready to provide a venue for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, as well as offer all other necessary assistance."
"Our region has had enough of tears and war," he said, adding that it is "very important for our regions to finally achieve peace" and that peace is what Turkey wants to work towards.
Erdogan also referred to Tuesday’s Ukrainian-American negotiations in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. "We view Ukraine’s agreement to a (30-day - PAP) ceasefire positively and as very significant," he said.
According to him, Russia should respond in a similar manner to the proposal. "Turkey’s stance on this war has been clear and concrete from the start: to prevent further bloodshed, we must achieve a just end to the war," the president said. (PAP)
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