ISTANBUL

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated support for the Russia-Ukraine ceasefire on Tuesday, saying that NATO should not be part of the war.

Earlier, President Erdogan, along with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, received NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the Presidential Complex in Ankara and held a closed-door meeting.

The discussions focused on developments in the Ukraine-Russia war and global and regional issues.

The proposal for unconditional talks in Istanbul on May 15 was made by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a press conference in Moscow on Sunday.

Later that day, Erdogan confirmed Türkiye's readiness to host the meeting.

During the meeting, Erdogan stated that Türkiye attaches importance to NATO and as an indication of this, Türkiye will assume the command of the NATO Kosovo Force again, according to Türkiye’s Communications Directorate.

He said Türkiye expects cooperation from its allies in the fight against terrorism and that Türkiye will continue to do its best to keep NATO strong despite internal and external challenges.

Erdogan added that Türkiye has increased its efforts to end the Ukraine-Russia war with a lasting and just peace, and that he has held meetings with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Türkiye strongly supports the establishment of a comprehensive ceasefire, said the president, adding that the opportunity for peace should not be missed.