ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that Russia’s military offensive against Ukraine is “unacceptable,” adding that the move is also a violation of international law. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military campaign against Ukraine early Thursday, saying Moscow would seek “demilitarisation and denazification” of Kyiv. There have been constant clashes between the armies of both countries since then. Erdogan, who enjoys good relations with both countries, said during an event at his presidential palace on Thursday that he finds “the military operation Russia has launched against Ukraine unacceptable and we reject it. This step, which we see as a violation of international law, is a heavy blow dealt to regional peace, calm and stability.” Turkey also opposed Putin’s recent decision to recognize two breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in Ukraine but it has not supported related sanctions imposed by the US and European countries on Moscow. “We are sincerely saddened by such a confrontation between Russia and Ukraine, both of which we see as close friends with whom we enjoy close political, economic and social relations,” Erdogan said on Thursday. Turkey’s foreign ministry also condemned Russia’s military campaign, calling on Moscow "to immediately stop this unjust and unlawful act." When announcing the military operation, Putin threatened to retaliate against any country that interferes in Russia-Ukraine conflict. Ankara, which suffers from an economic crisis, does not want to harm its relations with Russia as it imports natural gas from the country and Turkey’s tourism sector heavily relies on Russian tourists.
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