Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres demanded to avoid the risk of a nuclear catastrophe in Ukraine, after the Zaporozhye plant was bombed more than once.
On Thursday, Erdogan and Guterres visited the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, where they held talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The three leaders discussed ways to secure the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, which is the largest nuclear facility in Europe, while Moscow and Kiev accused each other of launching a new bombing near this station.
Erdogan warned of a nuclear disaster in Ukraine, and said at a press conference in Lviv, "We are worried, we do not want to live another Chernobyl," stressing that his country is a strong ally of Ukraine.
For his part, Guterres said he was deeply concerned about the situation at the station, which he stressed should be made "demilitarised".
"We have to say things as they are: any possible damage to Zaporozhye would be suicide," he added.
It is noteworthy that Erdogan met with Russian President Vladimir Putin less than two weeks ago in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
The Turkish president and Guterres were key mediators in an agreement signed in Istanbul last month;
Grain exports from Ukraine were allowed to resume after the Russian war cut off essential global supplies.
Guterres said in a meeting with reporters that the parties hope to intensify efforts to enhance operations in 3 southern ports designated to deal with exports under the agreement, stressing, "We will do everything in our power to intensify our operations in order to face the difficulties of the coming winter."
Today, Friday, Guterres continues his visit to Ukraine with a trip to Odessa;
One of the ports covered by the agreement to resume the export of grain.
He is expected to go to Turkey at a later time to visit the body charged with overseeing the export agreement.
Deliberate attacks
For his part, Zelensky called on the United Nations to ensure security at the station, accusing Russia of launching "deliberate" attacks on the facility.
Russian forces took control of the station last March, and the ambiguity of the situation there raised fears of a nuclear accident.
Moscow denied the Ukrainian statements on Thursday, stressing that its forces had not deployed heavy weapons in Zaporozhye, accusing Kyiv of preparing a "provocation" there that would make Russia "accused of causing a man-made disaster at the station."
But Kyiv insisted that Moscow was planning a "provocation" at the facility.