Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, commenting on Vladimir Putin and Russia's plans following the referendums in the liberated territories, stated that if "the Russian president intends something, he will do it." Speaking about the referendums held in the Donetsk and Luhansk republics, as well as in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, Erdogan expressed his concern regarding the annexation of these territories by Russia.
The Anadolu Agency reported Erdogan saying, "This can happen because Mr. Putin, who I know, if he thinks about something, he will do it, and there are situations that confirm this."
He added, "That's why I attach great importance to our meeting tomorrow (with Putin expected today, Thursday). I hope we will leave this issue at the point it has reached and move on to diplomacy." Earlier, the Turkish president expressed his hope for a phone conversation with Putin on Thursday.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated on Wednesday that phone talks between the Russian president and his Turkish counterpart had not yet been planned. The referendums regarding joining Russia took place from September 23 to 27 in the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, as well as in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. According to the vote counting results in the Donetsk People's Republic, 99.23% voted in favor of joining the Russian Federation, in the Luhansk Republic 98.42%, in the Kherson region 87.05%, and in the Zaporizhzhia region 93.11%. Last week, Putin stated that Russia would support the decision made by the residents of the Donbas, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions.
