On Friday, the Kremlin said it supports the nomination of Turkish President Recep Erdogan for the Nobel Peace Prize and “highly values” his peacemaking efforts, Interfax reported.

Recep Erdogan and Vladimir PutinPhoto: Volodymyr Smirnov / TASS / Profimedia

“Of course, we highly appreciate the efforts of Mr. Erdogan, his peace-making activities, attempts to provide mediation services and his attitude towards the development of Russian-Turkish bilateral relations,” Kremlin spokesman Dmytro Peskov said during a daily press conference.

Peskov was asked about the topic after former President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said at the summit of the Organization of Turkic States that Erdogan had made a notable contribution to strengthening peace and sustainable development at the regional and global levels.

The ex-President of Turkmenistan added that Erdogan “makes a lot of effort to ensure a peaceful life not only for his people, but also for all Muslim nations” and that these services should be recognized with the Nobel Peace Prize.

Berdimuhamedov, a de facto dictator who ruled Turkmenistan with an iron fist from 2007 to 2022, relinquished the presidency last year in favor of his son, who gave him the title of “National Leader of the Turkmen People.”

And Hungary supports Erdogan for the Nobel Peace Prize

Turkish Parliament Speaker Mustafa Sentop announced last December that he had initiated the process of nominating Erdogan for the Nobel Peace Prize “for his contribution to peace efforts between Russia and Ukraine.”

A month later, Hungary announced that it would also nominate him for the prestigious award.

On January 31, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary, Peter Szijjártó, stated that “Turkey is the only country that is currently successfully acting as a mediator in the negotiations” between Russia and Ukraine.

He stated this during a joint press conference in Budapest with his Turkish colleague Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu.

Although the peace talks organized in Ankara between Turkey and Ukraine failed, the mediation of Turkey and the UN made it possible to conclude an agreement on the export of grain from Ukraine.

However, Recep Erdogan has been accused of installing an increasingly authoritarian regime in Turkey and undermining democratic values, and his armed forces have entered Syria, where they support rebels fighting the Bashar al-Assad regime.

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