Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is paying a visit to Ukraine where he is scheduled to meet his counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday amid heightened tensions with Russia. Turkey “follows closely” the regional tensions and challenges and backs the territorial integrity of its “strategic partner” Ukraine, Erdogan told reporters in Ankara ahead of his departure. “We urge all parties to exercise restraint and maintain dialogue,” Erdogan added. The issues in Black Sea region need to be resolved in a peaceful manner and under international law, and Turkey is ready to do its part to this …