ISTANBUL 

Turkiye's presidential spokesman met Friday with the US deputy secretary of state in Istanbul.

During the meeting in Istanbul's Dolmabahce Palace, Ibrahim Kalin and Wendy Sherman discussed regional issues, especially the war in Ukraine, and bilateral relations, according to a statement by the presidential spokesperson's office.

Highlighting the importance of stopping the war before it causes further destruction, the duo underlined that if the war is prolonged, its effects will be devastating for the entire region and the world.

Also, Kalin and Sherman agreed to increase the joint efforts for the negotiations between the parties to yield results.

Stressing Turkiye's readiness to host negotiations, Kalin said Ankara is in constant contact with both sides.

They went on to evaluate peace and stability in Syria, Libya, and Afghanistan along with Turkiye-Israel relations and Turkiye-Armenia normalization process.

The statement added that Kalin and Sherman agreed on steps to be taken for the implementation of the joint strategic mechanism.

Russia's war on Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, has been met with international outrage, with the EU, US, and UK, among others, implementing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.

More than 1.2 million people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries, according to the UN refugee agency.