Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on November 16 that he respects Russia's statement that Russian missiles had not hit Polish territory, adding that he believes Moscow had "nothing to do with it."
"Russia saying this has nothing to do with them and (U.S. President Joe) Biden saying these missiles are not Russian-made show that this has nothing to do with Russia," Erdogan reportedly said at a news conference during the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia.
According to Anadolu Agency (AA), Erdogan said pointing fingers at Russia would further escalate tensions.
Erdogan’s remarks came after reports of a suspected missile attack on Poland that killed two people.
“While we are endeavoring to bring Russia and Ukraine around the same table, there is no need to find any third partner to this war,” Erdogan added, according to AA.
Meanwhile, citing U.S. officials, Associated Press (AP) reported today that initial findings suggest that the missile that hit Poland was fired by Ukrainian forces at an incoming Russian missile.
On the Istanbul grain deal, Mr. Erdogan said as soon as he returns from Bali, he will speak with his Russian counterpart about the extension of the grain deal by at least one year. “We will also discuss the transport of fertilizer and ammonia," he noted.
Recall, Turkiye, the United Nations, Russia, and Ukraine signed an agreement on July 22 in Istanbul to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which were paused after the Russia-Ukraine war began in February. More than 10 million tons of grain have been exported from Ukraine since August 1, according to the United Nations.
