ISTANBUL, July 12. /TASS/. Since the start of the special military operation, Turkey has been conducting a balanced policy regarding Russia and Ukraine and has emphasized the importance of fostering ties with both countries, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told his reporter pool upon his return from Washington, DC, where he attended the NATO summit on June 9-11.

"Our balanced position, which we were have been following since the first day of the Ukraine-Russia war, is known to all the leaders [of NATO member countries]. Like the Russian Federation, Ukraine is our neighbor. It is a country with which we have close ties. We enjoy multifaceted relations with both countries. [At the NATO summit], I emphasized the need to get back to diplomacy and to pave the way for talks [between Russia and Ukraine] in order to avoid more bloodshed. In this regard, I underlined that we are ready to facilitate the continuation of the Istanbul process," Erdogan said, as quoted by the Anadolu news agency.

In March 2022, Istanbul hosted talks between Russia and Ukraine, which culminated in agreements aimed at resolving the conflict. However, the Ukrainian side subsequently backed out of them.