ANKARA, May 31. /TASS/. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held telephone conversations on Wednesday with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic as well as Prime Minister of the unrecognized republic of Kosovo Albin Kurti in an effort to help the two sides settle the current conflict in the north of Kosovo, Turkey’s presidential press office reported.

"During the talks, which also focused on bilateral relations as well as regional issues, President Erdogan spoke about the events in northern Kosovo, stating that the only way to establish lasting peace and stability in the region is to make progress through dialogue."

"Turkey is ready to contribute to [establishing] this dialogue," the Turkish presidential press office added.

The situation in Serb municipalities of Kosovo and Metohija escalated on May 26, when Kosovo police special forces occupied administrative buildings in the municipalities of Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Leposavic.

The police attempted to ensure that the municipality heads, who won election despite the majority of the population boycotting the vote, were able to safely take office. On May 29, NATO’s Kosovo Force (KFOR) cordoned off administration buildings, where local residents staged peaceful protests that later escalated into clashes.

According to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, a total of 52 Serbs sought medical aid in the Kosovska Mitrovica hospital, 3 of them with severe injuries. The NATO mission reported over 40 injured servicemen from Italian and Hungarian KFOR contingents.

On Monday, Vucevic underscored that the Serbian Army was put on high alert over the situation in Kosovo and Metohija, and its units were deployed along the administrative line with Serbia’s autonomous region.