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Rutte: Turkey is one of the few countries in contact with both Moscow and Kyiv

resident Recep Tayyip Erdoğan receives Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in the capital Ankara, Turkey, March 22, 2022

22 March 2022 20:43 (UTC +04:00)

President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday received Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in the capital Ankara to discuss bilateral ties and regional issues, particularly the war in Ukraine, APA reports citing Daily Sabah.

Rutte was welcomed with an official ceremony followed by face-to-face talks with Erdoğan.

"During the meetings to be held within the scope of the visit, the relations between Turkey and the Netherlands will be reviewed in all its dimensions. The steps that can be taken to further the cooperation will be evaluated. In addition to bilateral relations, an exchange of views on current regional and international issues, especially Ukraine, is planned," a statement from Ankara said ahead of the visit.

Rutte spoke after a Cabinet meeting on Friday and said Turkey is very important for the defense of NATO's eastern flank amid Russia's war on Ukraine.

In his speech, Rutte underlined the importance of NATO member countries continuing to have intense discussions with each other and said, "Turkey is very important for the defense of its eastern flank."

Stating that Germany is one of the few European countries that have close contact with Turkey, Rutte noted that more countries should adopt this approach.

Rutte emphasized that Turkey is one of the few countries in contact with both Moscow and Kyiv in the Russia-Ukraine war; therefore, he spoke with Erdoğan about visiting Ankara in a recent telephone call.

Also pointing to the tensions between Turkey and the Netherlands in recent years, Rutte said, "Personal relations have always remained good."