Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday asked his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to engage in negotiations to resolve the crisis in Ukraine, according to a statement by the Turkish presidency.

"Steps to reduce tensions are needed to pave the way for more positive developments, and that Russia is expected to take steps to facilitate this process, especially on the issue of the accession of some regions in Ukraine to Russia," Erdogan told Putin in a phone call.

Asking Putin to "give the negotiations another chance," Erdogan said Türkiye was ready to play a facilitating role in this process.