Putin, Erdogan call for immediate ceasefire in Middle East war

• Leaders warn of ‘serious’ global consequences for energy, trade, logistics
• Talks also cover coordinated security measures for the Black Sea area

MOSCOW: Russian Pre­si­dent Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East war during a phone call on Friday, the Kremlin said.

The war started over a month ago with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, triggering a conflict throughout the Middle East that has convulsed the global economy and impacted millions of people worldwide.

“The leaders noted their shared positions on the need for an immediate ceasefire and the development of compromise peace agreements that take into account the legitimate interests of all states in the region,” a Kremlin statement said.

“It was noted that intense military action is leading to serious negative consequences not only regionally but also globally, including in the areas of energy, trade, and logistics,” it added.

Putin and Erdogan also discussed “the importance of coordinated measures to comprehensively ensure security in the Black Sea area”, Kremlin said, accusing Ukraine of “attempts to target gas transportation infrastructure linking Russia and Turkiye”.

On Thursday, Russian forces repelled a drone attack on part of the TurkStream gas pipeline that connects southern Russia and Turkiye, the pipeline’s operator Gazprom said.

Several European countries, including Hungary, Slovakia and Serbia, receive gas supplies via the pipeline.

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2026