ANKARA
Anadolu Agency is here with a rundown of the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic and other news in Turkiye and around the world.
Turkiye ready to do its part for de-escalation of Russia-Ukraine tensions: Erdogan
Turkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkiye stands ready to do its part for the de-escalation of Russia-Ukraine tensions and preservation of peace, according to an official statement Wednesday.
"President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan noted that he would like to welcome Russian President (Vladimir) Putin in Turkiye for the High-Level Cooperation Council Meeting as soon as possible, as had been agreed upon during his visit to Sochi in September," said Turkiye's Communications Directorate following a phone call between the two leaders.
During the call, which addressed rising tensions between Ukraine and Russia, Erdogan emphasized the "great importance" that he attached to his close dialogue with Putin which "yielded favorable outcomes," adding he was determined to maintain this approach.
In a Wednesday phone call, Erdogan and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev discussed bilateral relations and regional issues.
According to a statement by Turkiye's Directorate of Communications, the two leaders addressed the Russia-Ukraine crisis during their conversation.
On Wednesday, Turkiye reported 86,600 new coronavirus cases.
According to data shared by the Health Ministry, 268 people lost their lives and 95,526 others recovered from the disease over the past day.
In sports news, Turkish gymnast Ferhat Arican was chosen as the men’s Artistic Gymnast of the Year 2021, European Gymnastics announced Wednesday.
"Ferhat Arican scored 24,711 votes, congratulations! And thank you all for voting!" the sports organization said on Twitter.
Other developments worldwide
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said early Thursday that he tried to speak by phone with his Russian counterpart but was met with "silence.”
"Today I initiated a telephone call to the president of the Russian Federation (Vladimir Putin). The result was silence, though silence should be in the Donbas," Zelenskyy said in an address in Russian to "all citizens of Russia."
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said late Wednesday that he believes Russia could launch an invasion of Ukraine before the night is over.
Asked whether he has a "reason to believe that before this night is over, Russian forces will be engaged in something akin to a full invasion of Ukraine," Blinken responded: "I do."
On Wednesday, Ukraine called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council following reports that separatist leaders in its eastern breakaway regions are seeking Russia’s help to repel Ukrainian troops.
“Ukraine has requested an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council due to the appeal by Russian occupation administrations in Donetsk and Luhansk to Russia with a request to provide them with military assistance, which is a further escalation of the security situation,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter.
Meanwhile, separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine have sought Russian President Vladimir Putin’s help in repelling aggression from the Ukrainian army, the Kremlin announced late Wednesday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the leaders of Ukraine's breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk wrote a letter to Putin asking for assistance.
Noting that the letter pointed to “civilian casualties in the Donbas region,” Peskov said the respective administrations asked the Russian president for help in repelling the “aggression of the Ukrainian armed forces.”
A Russian military convoy was seen moving towards the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday.
The convoy, with nearly 200 military vehicles, was seen near the Kuibyshevo settlement in the Rostov region of Russia while it was advancing towards the border with the Donbas region.
Hundreds of protesters with Ukrainian flags gathered in front of the Russian Embassy building in London on Wednesday and called on Moscow to stop military action in Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine declared a state of emergency beginning at midnight Wednesday for the entire nation except the separatist regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.
