Top UN official for humanitarian aid Martin Griffiths said he will visit Turkey this week to discuss the situation in Ukraine.
"I'm really impressed by the way Turkey has been able to present itself to both sides as a genuinely valuable and useful host to those talks with all the difficulties," Martin Griffiths, UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, told a Monday press conference, referring to mediation efforts between Russia and Ukraine.
The UN official will meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his two-day visit – Wednesday and Thursday – and discuss a humanitarian cease-fire, evacuation of civilians, and humanitarian aid to Ukrainians. He also said he hoped Turkey will host a humanitarian contact group.
The announcement came a day after Erdogan and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres discussed the Ukraine tensions in Jerusalem in a phone call. The two leaders stressed the importance of the Russia-Ukraine peace talks and efforts in Turkey to settle disagreements between the parties.
