Erdogan And Putin Hold Call Amid NATO Accession Dispute

Turkish President Recep Erdogan has spoken today with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

• According to Ankara, Erdogan called for dialogue with Ukraine and offered Turkey as a mediator in stalled ceasefire negotiations as 'observation mechanism'.
• Erdogan also drew attention to 'the PKK/YPG terrorist organisation's continued attacks in Syria against Turkey and Syrian civilians.' Erdogan stressed that a 'terror free zone with a depth of 30kms' from the border was imperative.
• The call comes amid the ongoing dispute between Turkey and NATO over the accession plans of Finland and Sweden.
• Finnish foreign minister Pekka Haavisto voiced concerns to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday over the 'grey time.' Haavisto: ‘For us, it’s a little bit problematic if it’s [a] very long period between our application and the final decision — this kind of ‘grey time. Anyone who wants to harm this kind of process could benefit from the long waiting time, and all kinds of tricks could be happening during that time.'
• Most analysts believe that Turkey's blockade will be overcome but the timing of the Putin call will be of concern to both Nordic states who could be indefinitely blocked from joining the alliance.
• NYT: 'President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s block on NATO membership for Sweden and Finland is likely to be managed, but has renewed questions about whether the alliance might be better off without Turkey.'