Turkey Steps Up Efforts To Reach Agreement On Black Sea - Fidan

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said this at a joint press conference with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov in Baku, according to a Ukrinform correspondent.

"Our work is currently underway, with particular attention being paid to the Black Sea. We are negotiating with the parties on this issue and have proposals. We have received the parties' responses and are working to reconcile them so that, on this basis, a mutually acceptable approach can be developed," Hakan Fidan said.

According to him, Turkey believes that, given the necessary political will and goodwill of the parties, a basis for compromise can be found.

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"Recently, we have stepped up our efforts to reach an agreement. We hope that the necessary initiatives will allow us to bring this process to completion. As our president has emphasized from the very beginning, even the worst peace is better than war itself. Turkey will continue to make every possible effort for peace," the Turkish foreign minister said.

Fidan also drew attention to the growing number of attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea. According to him, since the beginning of the war, Turkey has made significant efforts to prevent the hostilities from spreading to the Black Sea, including through strict adherence to the Montreux Convention and the implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

He also stressed that the spread of the war to the Black Sea, as well as threats to the lives of Turkish citizens and the operations of Turkish companies, are unacceptable.

The Turkish foreign minister also said that over the past year, the nature of the Russian-Ukrainian war has changed and that it has effectively shifted from a "war of attrition" to a "war of destruction."

"Over the past year, the war has effectively transformed from a war of attrition into a war of destruction. There are now practically no targets left that are not being targeted... We are also seeing an increasing number of civilian casualties," Fidan said.

According to him, further escalation must be halted in order to prevent even more serious consequences.

The Turkish foreign minister also warned of the risk that the war could spread geographically, including to other European countries.

As Ukrinform reported, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has repeatedly stated that his country is ready to make every possible effort to bring the Russian-Ukrainian war to a peaceful conclusion.

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