ANKARA, March 18. /TASS/. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Europe's strategy of settling scores with Russia with the help of Ukraine is not acceptable for Ankara.

"We reject Europe's plans to settle scores with Russia and realize its military strategies under the pretext of the conflict in Ukraine. Of course, we reject the occupation. We support the territorial integrity of Ukraine. But the time has come to stop this war," the minister said on CNN Turk.

Fidan also said that "Turkey is one of the few countries that, being able to talk to both sides of the conflict, can call for peace on the European and other regional platforms." He said Turkey "has influence."

"As many as 500,000 people have been killed or wounded, and there has been a lot of devastation," the minister said. "Our hearts are breaking over what is happening in Gaza and what is happening there [in Ukraine]. Tens of thousands of people have fallen victims to this tragedy. Millions of people have been forced to leave the places where they lived. This goes on and on, and there are almost no calls for peace," Fidan said.