Turkish FM calls on Europe to support Ukraine in critical decision

Europe needs to assist Ukraine in making a challenging decision, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said.

He made remarks in an interview with Al Jazeera, noting that Europe needs to help Ukraine make a difficult choice, emphasising that it is necessary to prevent major losses, avert a catastrophe, and eradicate evil for the greater good, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.

“A choice must be made. I know it is difficult for them. The territorial issue, in particular, is incredibly complex. God forbid anyone experiences anything like this,” FM emphasised.

He added that there are also demands for security guarantees, which are not easy to meet. Fidan stressed that Türkiye continues to facilitate negotiations between the two sides.

The foreign minister noted that Istanbul is ready to host talks again, recalling that three rounds of negotiations took place there over the summer. According to Fidan, progress in those talks on prisoner exchanges and other humanitarian issues laid the foundation for current negotiations.

He warned that the war had already spread to the Black Sea and could extend to other parts of Europe, urging the parties to end the conflict immediately.

“Currently, they are attacking commercial ships and tankers there. Therefore, if the war continues, it will spread to other places, to other parts of Europe. God forbid, it must stop here and now,” Fidan concluded.

Türkiye has positioned itself as a diplomatic mediator between Kyiv and Moscow, hosting early peace talks and facilitating negotiations such as prisoner exchanges and efforts to resume peace discussions, while maintaining communication channels with both sides.

The country played a key role in brokering the Black Sea Grain Initiative in 2022 with the United Nations, which reopened critical Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea, easing global food security pressures.

Ankara also supplied military equipment to Ukraine, including Bayraktar TB2 drones that have been significant in Ukraine’s defence, and used the Montreux Convention to close the Turkish Straits to warships not based in the Black Sea, limiting Russian naval reinforcement.

At the same time, Türkiye maintained economic and energy ties with Russia, did not join Western sanctions, and balanced relations with both Moscow and Kyiv to preserve its strategic interests and avoid confrontation.

By Jeyhun Aghazada