On Thursday, Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, from a family of defenders of the factory, asked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to help evacuate Ukrainian soldiers defending the Azovstal factory in Mariupol. “You have the opportunity to go down in history as a hero who brought peace,” said the father of one of the soldiers.

During a press conference in Kiev, relatives of defenders of Azovstal, the last point of the Ukrainian resistance in Mariupol, with emotional words appealed to world leaders and the international community to save them.

“My husband is now in Azovstal. I beg everyone, please save our soldiers. We call everyone: do something, we don’t have time” – said the wife of one of the soldiers who fought at the Mariupol factory.

He also turned to the Turkish president. “I ask for help to save the lives of our soldiers in Mariupol. You have great authority among world leaders,” he said.

His several year old son also asked for help for the soldiers. “Many of them are injured. Please save Mariupol” – said the boy.

According to the father of one of the soldiers, what happened was not a war but a massacre that took place in the factory. “This violates all conventions, it just kills people. We want to evacuate people in Azovstal, who were injured and corpses (dead), to neutral territory” – he said.

He emphasized that the evacuation of soldiers must be carried out by people who have political authority so that it can be carried out efficiently. “From a political and geopolitical point of view, Turkey can be such a country, and its president can be such a hero,” he said.

“Please, like a man, a man, like a father a father, please help me get my son and his friends out of there. You already have experience in similar operations in the Middle East. Please, send an unarmed civilian ship to carry these people.” our people. from there” – said the soldier’s father.

Admittedly, such an operation carries with it dangers and risks. “But we had no choice: we took the risk or we could watch people get killed there. Mr Erdogan, you have the opportunity to go down in history as a hero who brought peace,” the father said.

In response to a PAP question about a recent conversation with his son, he replied: “In the last few weeks, the only thing I’ve received from my son is a text message: + I live +” – he said. He added, communication is very difficult. Relatives cannot ask many questions about soldiers fighting for their safety.

The wife of one of the soldiers said she had last contact with her husband on May 7. “He said: + my son, maybe we will not meet again, the siege of Azovstal is narrowing. For us this is the end” – reports the woman.