Crimea's status still ‘point of contention’ between Moscow, Ankara, says Kremlin

ANKARA

The status of Crimea remains a point of contention between Moscow and Ankara, but Russia is making every effort to persuade its Turkish counterparts of its position, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

During a press conference in Moscow, Peskov was asked to comment on recent statements made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about Crimea, the Kremlin spokesman said: "This topic belongs to the category of disagreements that exist between us and our Turkish friends."

Despite this, Peskov emphasized Russia's ongoing efforts to clarify its stance to Ankara: "We continue to explain our perspective to our Turkish colleagues and friends, and we remain committed to these efforts."

He added that, while Russia hopes Ankara will get a better understanding of its position over time, the two countries' relationship is developing.

"We believe that this will eventually lead to greater alignment, with Türkiye accepting our reasoning. Meanwhile, we continue to strengthen our relationship with Türkiye," he said.