Turkey, Netherlands patch up relations amid Ukraine crisis
Arriving for a top-level visit in Ankara after years of tense relations, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte says he would like Turkey to join sanctions against Russia but understands Ankara’s unique position.
Arriving for a top visit to the Turkish capital after years of strained bilateral ties, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte expressed support for Ankara’s mediation efforts between Ukraine and Russia.
Rutte arrived in Ankara Tuesday on the last leg of his three-leg tour that included Lithuania and Poland ahead of a NATO summit on Ukraine scheduled for March 24.
As Rutte described Erdogan as one of the few leaders with “an open line” to both warring parties, the Turkish president pledged to continue his mediation efforts with Ukraine and Russia.
“I know that the conditions are difficult, but diplomacy is the only option,” he said at the joint press conference. While Rutte praised Turkey’s role in bringing together the two sides, he warned that the current situation, particularly the scenes of innocent civilians targeted in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, cast a dark light.
