Erdoğan, Macron hold phone talks on Ukraine, regional security

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron at the request of the French side, focusing on the war in Ukraine as well as broader regional and global issues.

Erdoğan stressed the importance of strengthening bilateral relations between Türkiye and France and said that steps would continue to deepen cooperation between the two countries, Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

He reiterated Türkiye’s commitment to achieving a fair and lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia, noting that efforts were ongoing to revitalise the Istanbul process, which seeks to mediate between the parties. Erdoğan added that Türkiye was ready to do everything possible to open the door to peace as soon as possible.

The leaders also discussed regional developments, including the latest situations in the Caucasus, Gaza, and Syria. Erdoğan emphasised that diplomatic channels remain the most effective way to secure lasting peace and underlined Türkiye’s intention to support both the ceasefire process and subsequent peace-building efforts, while avoiding actions that could threaten global stability.

The call came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin made statements to Europe that caused concern.

Speaking before hosting US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow to discuss US President Donald Trump’s 28-point peace plan, Putin said: “They keep saying we will attack, but we have no such intention. I have said this hundreds of times. But if they attack us, we are ready to respond. And we will respond in a way that soon no one will remain to negotiate peace with us.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev