Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a “just peace” in Ukraine in a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, AFP reported on Friday from the Turkish presidency.

“President Erdogan stressed the need to achieve a just peace to avoid further loss of human life and destruction,” the brief statement said, and the Turkish leader also called for the relaunch of the Istanbul Wheat Agreement between the two warring countries.

“Ankara is ready to provide any support in this regard,” the Turkish president said.

In July of last year, Turkey played a key role in concluding an agreement with Kyiv and Moscow under the auspices of the UN, which allows the export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea and the Bosphorus.

The Kremlin’s statement referred to an “exchange of views on the situation in Ukraine” and discussion of an agreement on grain exports, without mentioning Erdogan’s demands.

Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has achieved a balance between Kyiv and Moscow.

Turkey has already managed to gather representatives of Russia and Ukraine on its territory.

In September of last year, Recep Tayyip Erdogan also offered Moscow mediation in resolving the crisis surrounding the Zaporizhia NPP in Ukraine.

While Ankara supplies Kiev with military drones, the Turkish government has refused to join Western sanctions against Russia.

And President Erdoğan met several times with Vladimir Putin, and also held regular talks with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyi.

During the phone call, the leader also thanked Putin for Russia’s help and “solidarity” during the massive earthquake that devastated southern Turkey and northern Syria on February 6, killing more than 47,000 people in both countries.

Follow the latest events of the 366th day of the war in Ukraine LIVETEXT on HOTNEWS.RO.