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Turkish President Erdogan says against West’s provocative course regarding Ukraine

Turkey refused to join the West-led sanctions against Russia after Moscow launched a special military operation in Ukraine earlier this year

BELGRADE, September 7. /TASS/. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that he was against supporting the West’s provocative course regarding Ukraine.

"Turkey has always sided with a balanced policy in regard to Russia and Ukraine. However, I am not supporting the provocative course of the West in Ukraine," Erdogan said at a news briefing in Belgrade following his talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

Turkey refused to join the West-led sanctions against Russia after Moscow launched a special military operation in Ukraine earlier this year. Ankara stated that it was unprofitable for its economy adding that a dialogue is needed with Moscow to overcome the crisis in Ukraine.

Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine

The situation along the line of engagement in Donbass escalated on February 17. The Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) reported back then the worst wave of bombardments by the Ukrainian military, which damaged civilian infrastructure and caused civilian casualties.

On February 21, President Vladimir Putin announced that Moscow was recognizing the sovereignty of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. Russia signed agreements on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance with their leaders. Moscow recognized the Donbass republics in accordance with the DPR and LPR constitutions within the boundaries of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions as of the beginning of 2014.

Russian President Putin announced on February 24 that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics for assistance he had decided to carry out a special military operation in Ukraine. The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories, noting that the operation was aimed at the denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine.

The DPR and the LPR launched an operation to liberate their territories under Kiev’s control.