ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has proposed the establishment of an international commission to investigate the destruction of Ukraine’s Kakhovka dam during phone calls with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts, according to his office on Wednesday.
Both Moscow and Kyiv have been trading blame for the breach of the hydroelectric dam, which reportedly occurred due to an explosion early Tuesday.
Erdogan’s office stated that “a commission could be established with the participation of experts from the warring parties, the United Nations, and the international community, including Turkey, for a detailed investigation into the explosion” following his conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
During a separate call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Erdogan reiterated the proposal, expressing Turkey’s readiness to contribute. He emphasized the importance of conducting a comprehensive investigation into the dam’s explosion to dispel any suspicions.
The Kakhovka dam is located on the Dnipro River, which feeds a reservoir providing cooling water for the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, Europe’s largest, situated approximately 150 kilometers (90 miles) upstream.
The destruction of the dam has led to the evacuation of thousands of civilians, as vast areas downstream have been flooded, raising concerns about an ecological disaster. As a NATO member, Turkey maintains good relations with both Moscow and Kyiv.
Putin Calls Kakhovka Dam Attack a “Barbaric Act” in First Reaction
In his first public reaction to the situation, President Vladimir Putin described the attack on the Russian-occupied Kakhovka dam, which Moscow has attributed to Ukraine, as a “barbaric act.” Putin conveyed this message to Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a phone call, as stated by the Kremlin in a released statement.
Putin expressed his view that the breach constitutes “a barbaric act which has led to a large-scale environmental and humanitarian catastrophe.”
Zelensky Discusses Humanitarian Impact of Dam Breach in Erdogan Call
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized the “humanitarian and environmental consequences” resulting from the destruction of the Kakhovka dam during a phone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday. Zelensky also took to Twitter to inform Erdogan that he had sent a list of Ukraine’s urgent needs to address the disaster.
