Erdogan asked Putin to release Ukrainian sailors

It became known that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan submitted to the President of Russia Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin a request for the release of crew members of three ships of the Ukrainian Navy. They were detained after a provocation in the Kerch Strait, which took place on November 25, 2018.



Erdogan said that after the incident, talked with Putin and Poroshenko on the phone. At the same time, Poroshenko told him that he could not reach Putin at all, so he asked the Turkish leader to transfer the request for the release of those arrested to the President of Russia.

After that, already at the G20 summit in Argentine Buenos Aires, Erdogan had a personal meeting with the Russian leader and he conveyed this request. He clarified that he was aware of the ongoing investigation of the incident. Therefore, he understands that only after that some kind of decision can be made.


- added the president of Turkey.

In fact, Erdogan distanced himself from annoying Kiev, perfectly understanding what happened in the Kerch Strait and very logically assessing the consequences. At the same time, Putin’s refusal to talk to Poroshenko on the phone is explainable; he does not want to participate in the election campaign of the President of Ukraine.