Destruction of the Kakhova dam: Ankara proposes an international commission of inquiry

2023-06-08T04:28:39.124Z

Highlights: President Volodymyr Zelensky said he "delivered" to his Turkish counterpart "a list of urgent needs to deal with the disaster" Recep Tayyip Erdogan proposed to the Ukrainian president and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to set up a commission of inquiry. Moscow and Kiev blame each other for the attack on the dam, whose destruction of the dam led to the discharge of torrents of water into the Dnieper. Several thousand civilians were forced to leave the flooded areas while raising fears of an ecological disaster.

President Volodymyr Zelensky exchanged with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on "the humanitarian and environmental consequences" of the floods caused in southern Ukraine by...

Destruction of the Kakhova dam: Ankara proposes an international commission of inquiry

President Volodymyr Zelensky exchanged with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on "the humanitarian and environmental consequences" of the floods caused in southern Ukraine by the partial destruction of the Kakhovka dam. Volodymyr Zelensky said he "delivered" to his Turkish counterpart "a list of urgent needs to deal with the disaster". Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for his part, proposed to the Ukrainian president and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, with whom he also spoke by phone on Wednesday, to set up a commission of inquiry.

Ukraine: The city of Oleshky under water after the partial destruction of the Kakhovka dam, June 7, 2023. via REUTERS - MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES

Text by: RFI Follow

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What the Turkish president is proposing to his Ukrainian and Russian counterparts is a format of negotiations similar to the one put in place last year on the export of Ukrainian grain. At the time, mediation by Turkey and the United Nations allowed Kiev to resume deliveries to the Black Sea without Russia attacking the ships.

This time, Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggests creating an international commission of "in-depth investigation" into the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam. Moscow and Kiev blame each other for the attack on the dam, whose destruction of the dam led to the discharge of torrents of water into the Dnieper, pushing several thousand civilians to leave the flooded areas while raising fears of an ecological disaster.

>> READ ALSO: Ukraine: evacuations continue after the partial destruction of the Kakhovka dam

The commission of inquiry would be composed of Ukrainian, Russian, Turkish and United Nations experts, as well as the "international community," says our correspondent in Istanbul, Anne Andlauer. Beyond possibly helping to establish responsibility for the destruction of the dam, what the Turkish president wants is above all that Russia and Ukraine resume discussions.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who enjoys very good relations with the two belligerents, does not despair of one day succeeding in getting them to talk about peace as well. In his telephone exchange with Vladimir Putin, the Turkish president also pleaded for the extension of the agreement on Ukrainian cereals. The latter was renewed on 17 May for another two months. Signed in July 2022 in Istanbul between the United Nations, Ukraine, Russia and Turkey, the agreement has made it possible to export more than 30 million tons of Ukrainian cereals over the past ten months, helping to alleviate the global food crisis caused by the war.

Destruction of the Kakhova dam: Ankara proposes an international commission of inquiry

Destruction of the Kakhova dam: Ankara proposes an international commission of inquiry

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