Anadolu Agency
April 18, 2022

Turkey playing ‘important role’ in holding Russia to account: US

Turkey is playing an “important role” in ensuring Russia is held to account for its war against Ukraine, the United States said on Monday ahead of a bilateral meeting of top diplomats.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is slated to host Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu on May 18 in Washington, and the State Department said the upcoming sit-down would be an “important element” of efforts seeking to hold “Russia to account for its war against the people, the government, the state of Ukraine.”

“This is a ways away but I imagine there will be a very full agenda,” spokesperson Ned Price told reporters. “Together as NATO Allies and important bilateral partners, there are a range of shared interests that we have with our Turkish partners.”

The U.S. and Turkey launched on April 4 what the nations call a strategic mechanism to further expand their bilateral cooperation. In announcing the development, the U.S. welcomed Turkey’s efforts “to facilitate a just, negotiated diplomatic solution” to end the war in Ukraine, the countries said in a joint statement.

The two sides also stressed their shared commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

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Daily Sabah
April 18, 2022

Turkish ship rescued 54 sailors on Russian cruiser Moskva: Lithuania

Lithuania’s Defense Minister said Thursday that a Turkish ship evacuated 54 personnel onboard the Russian Black Sea Fleet flagship cruiser Moskva, which sunk after being hit by Ukrainian anti-ship missiles.

The Russian cruiser sent out a distress call at night, Arvydas Anusauskas said on Facebook.

“At 1.14 a.m., the cruiser lay on its side, and after half an hour, all the electricity went out. From 2 a.m., the Turkish ship evacuated 54 sailors from the cruiser, and at about 3 a.m., Turkey and Romania reported that the ship had completely sunk. The related loss of Russian personnel is still unknown, although there were 485 crew on board (66 of them officers),” Anusauskas said.