Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticized his partners in the NATO military alliance for their actions in the dispute with Russia over the Ukraine conflict.
"Unfortunately, the West has so far made no contribution to solving this problem," Erdogan said on Friday on a flight back from a visit to Ukraine.
"I can tell they're only making it worse."
Erdogan particularly criticized the behavior of American President Joe Biden: "So far, he has not been able to find a positive approach".
Only former Chancellor Angela Merkel could have found a solution, the Turkish President added.
After her departure, Europe is suffering from "serious problems at management level".
During his visit to Kiev, Erdogan repeatedly offered to mediate in Ukraine's conflict with Russia.
He suggested to his Ukrainian colleague Volodymyr Zelenskyy a summit meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Turkey.
As a NATO member, Turkey supports Ukraine, but Erdogan also maintains close ties with Putin.
So far, Moscow has reacted cautiously to the Turkish advance.
Among other things, Turkish combat drone deliveries to Ukraine and Erdogan's sharp criticism of the Crimea annexation in 2014 are a thorn in the side of the Kremlin.
However, Erdogan has now assured that he has received a "positive response" from Moscow to his proposal for a summit.
According to Western sources, Russia has gathered more than 100,000 soldiers and heavy equipment on the Ukrainian border.
The West therefore fears a Russian attack on the neighboring country.
Russia rejects the accusations and at the same time states that it feels threatened by NATO.