Erdogan talks first with Zelensky, then Putin

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a phone talk on Friday with Russian president Vladimir Putin called for establishing peace in Ukraine to avoid further casualties and damage, Turkish presidency said.

Erdogan thanked his Russian counterpart for Russia's solidarity after the twin earthquakes that struck Turkey on 6 February.

Expressing Turkey's sincere wish for the revival of the 2022 grain deal allowing the export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, Erdogan stated that Ankara stands ready to provide every kind of contribution in this regard.

Practical aspects of increased Russian energy supplies were also discussed, the Kremlin said in a statement, adding that the two presidents also talked about the export of Russian fertilizers and agricultural products.

Earlier in the day, Erdogan spoke with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and promised to make efforts to settle the conflict in Ukraine and restore its territorial integrity.

He voiced his readiness to contribute "in any way they can to build a cease-fire and to a negotiated solution, and shape peace in the one-year-old Russia-Ukraine war," Turkish state news agency AA said.