Ankara (Times Of Ocean)- The German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in Turkey on Monday for his first official visit since inauguration.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed Scholz with an official ceremony at the Presidential Complex in the capital Ankara.
Erdogan and Scholz will hold a joint news conference following one-on-one and interdelegation meetings.
Further, the leaders are also expected to discuss the bilateral ties, regional issues, and diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
“Aside from bilateral ties, an exchange of views is expected to be held on other regional and international issues, primarily Ukraine and Turkey-EU relations,” according to the statement by the Turkish Presidency.
Scholz laid a wreath at Ataturk’s gravesite during the visit Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, before bilateral talks with Erdogan.
Scholz will return to Berlin later Monday.
As a result of Turkey’s efforts, Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers met in Antalya last week for their first face-to-face meeting since the war began on Feb. 24.
The Russian and Ukrainian delegations will hold a videoconference meeting on Monday to discuss a cease-fire, an immediate withdrawal of troops, and security guarantees.
As many as 596 civilians have been killed and 1,067 injured in Ukraine since the war began, according to the UN, which has said conditions on the ground make it difficult to verify the true number.
More than 2.8 million people have also fled to neighboring countries, according to the UN refugee agency.