***Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zakharova praised Ankara's role.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday her country is "thankful" to Turkey for its mediation efforts over the Russia-Ukraine war.

At a press briefing in Moscow, Zakharova said Russia is "thankful" to Turkey "for the mediation role, the mediation efforts that the leadership of this country was ready to provide for the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations and the settlement of the situation."

'A BALANCED, INDEPENDENT POSITION'

Zakharova noted that compared to the Western line of putting sanctions against Russia, Turkey has taken "a balanced and independent position," has not joined the restrictive measures, adhered to the Montreux Convention, and kept open its airspace for Russian aviation.

The 1936 convention gives Turkey the authority to ban warships from the straits during times of war.

She also said that despite differences over Ukraine, neither the Turkish government nor the Turkish people share the Western anti-Russian campaign.

"And with all the nuances," she said, Russia does not share Turkey's "position on Ukraine, including Crimea, and openly talked about it at the talks, but the Russophobic campaign did not overwhelm either the Turkish government or the people as a whole. Neither the Turkish government nor the Turkish people share the anti-Russian hysteria that is happening in the West."

Ankara's balanced position was among the reasons that led to the organizing of the Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul, she added.

"We hope that our Turkish partners will help us make the current meeting with the Ukrainian delegation as effective and efficient as possible," the spokeswoman said.