ANKARA

Türkiye has been in favor of a "peaceful and equitable" solution to the Russia-Ukraine war from the very beginning, Turkish parliament speaker Numan Kurtulmus said Tuesday.

"We know that ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, both of which are our neighbors and with which we have relations, is not only in the interest of both countries but also in the interest of the region, Europe and the whole world," Kurtulmus told a Muslim fast-breaking or iftar event with ambassadors in the capital Ankara.

Kurtulmus said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been in close contact with the leaders of both countries and almost brought the issue to a solution point.

"Unfortunately, due to the attitudes of some countries, we have moved away from the solution point," he added.

The war between Russia and Ukraine has the potential to become a war between Russia and the entire Western world, Kurtulmus stressed.

"God forbid, if the Russia-Ukraine war is not ended peacefully, it is even possible that we will hear the footsteps of the Third World War," he added.

Türkiye, internationally praised for its unique mediator role between Ukraine and Russia, has time and again called on Kyiv and Moscow to end the fighting through negotiations.

Erdogan has repeatedly stressed his wish to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy together in Türkiye for formal discussions to end the conflict.

Kurtulmus also highlighted the dire situation in Gaza, where more than 31,800 Palestinians have been killed and thousands remain trapped under rubble, facing extreme deprivation.

He highlighted the global protests against Israel's war on Gaza, revitalizing a sense of global humanity.

Calling for an immediate cease-fire, he underscored the necessity of halting Israel's deadly actions for regional stability.

Kurtulmus said the rise of new types of warfare, termed as trade or proxy wars, emboldens terrorist organizations, fosters discord among people and leads to the killing of thousands of innocent people in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

He stressed that while some countries utilize terrorist organizations as tools under the guise of "proxy wars" as a card in their foreign policies, Türkiye is fighting against all terrorist groups without any discrimination.

*Writing by Necva Tastan in Istanbul