President Andrzej Duda went to Turkey's capital city of Ankara, where he spoke with the country's head of state Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the situation in Ukraine and refugees fleeing from that country to Poland. "We can clearly state that we have a refugee crisis in our country. If we don't receive international support, we will be in a very, very difficult situation," Duda stressed at a press conference held with Erdogan.
President Andrzej Duda's visit to Turkish capital had a working character. After Duda and Erdogan spoke face to face, they held a joint press conference.
Erdogan said that he and Duda discussed relations between Poland and Turkey, as well as ways to tighten said relations in the future. Speaking on the situtation in Ukraine, he said the two leaders exchanged views on the matter, adding that they would meet again on March 24, at NATO extraordinary summit in Brussels.
"We've shared our views on the safety of Europe. We've agreed that we should continue a diplomatic path to end this conflict," Erdogan said. "We, as Turkey, are in contact with the Russian side. Tomorrow we will also speak with the Ukrainian side," he added.
President Duda: We have a refugee crisis in our country. I call for help
Andrzej Duda said that the leaders also discussed "humanitarian help for Ukraine, the problem of refugees from Ukraine, which today mainly affects Poland in a huge extent".
Mówił, że ta sytuacja to "olbrzymie wyzwanie". - Śmiało można mówić, że dzisiaj mamy kryzys uchodźczy w naszym kraju. Jeżeli nie otrzymamy wsparcia międzynarodowego, będziemy w bardzo, bardzo bardzo trudnej sytuacji - powiedział.
He added that this situation was "a huge challenge". "We can clearly state that we have a refugee crisis in our country. If we don't receive international support, we will be in a very, very difficult situation," Poland's president stressed.
"I call upon the whole international community to help Poland," he added.
UNHCR: over 3 million refugees fled Ukraine
NATO member Turkey shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea and has good ties with both countries. It has said the invasion is unacceptable and voiced support for Ukraine, but has also opposed sanctions on Moscow, while offering to mediate.
More than 3 million people have left Ukraine so far, data from UNHCR showed. The frontline states - Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary and Moldova - have been providing help to drive, feed or house refugees.
Three weeks into Russia's invasion, there are some signs the exodus is slowing although tens of thousands of people are arriving daily in what has become Europe's fastest growing refugee crisis since World War Two.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, TVN24, PAP