Erdogan: Türkiye intensifying contacts to support Ukraine peace efforts

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara is stepping up diplomatic efforts to help resolve the war in Ukraine, with its foreign minister and intelligence chief maintaining regular contact with counterparts from the countries involved.

Speaking to reporters on his return from China, Erdogan noted that US President Donald Trump had recently held meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders to discuss the conflict. He described these consultations as reasonable, acceptable and part of a valuable strategy, stressing that only peaceful dialogue could bring an end to the fighting, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media. 

The president said Türkiye had also held talks with all sides, including Trump, Putin, Zelenskyy and European leaders. He underlined that Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and National Intelligence Organization head İbrahim Kalin were in constant contact with their counterparts and that these exchanges were accelerating the search for a solution.

Erdogan recalled that Türkiye had previously laid the groundwork for dialogue by hosting direct negotiations in Istanbul, which had produced tangible outcomes on the Black Sea grain corridor and prisoner exchanges. He said he continued to raise these two issues in every discussion with Putin and emphasised Ankara’s determination to push forward.

The Turkish leader expressed hope of achieving results in the Ukrainian settlement, saying a just and lasting peace could only be reached by reinforcing negotiating platforms without excluding any party. He argued that Türkiye had demonstrated from the start of the war its ability to engage both Moscow and Kyiv and earn their trust, and that prioritizing negotiations over conflict could open what he called a wide window of opportunity.

Erdogan said that despite his recent discussions with both Putin and Zelenskyy, the two leaders were not yet ready to meet in person. He explained that his talks with Putin, held on the sidelines of a summit, focused on ways to end the conflict through a just peace.

The president reiterated Ankara’s support for a settlement through negotiations, adding that a gradual elevation of talks was the desired path. He said it was necessary to transform hopes for peace into practical, solution-oriented results, which in his view required tackling the issue at the leadership level.

By Sabina Mammadli