Turkish foreign minister to address delegates ahead of Russia–Ukraine talks in Istanbul

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is set to deliver a speech ahead of the upcoming negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, scheduled to take place at Istanbul’s Çırağan Palace.

The minister, accompanied by a delegation from the Turkish Foreign Ministry, is expected to arrive later at the venue. The talks are scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. local time, Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

In line with the protocol observed during the previous round of negotiations on May 16, Fidan is expected to deliver a welcoming address before the start of the discussions. He will be joined by other senior Turkish officials, and the delegation is likely to remain at the venue throughout the talks.

Also expected to attend is İbrahim Kalın, head of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT), underscoring Ankara’s commitment to facilitating dialogue between the two sides.

Organisers have confirmed that all preparations have been completed for the high-level meeting.

To recall, the first face-to-face meeting in years between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations was held in Türkiye on May 16. That round of talks led to an agreement on a significant prisoner exchange deal based on a “1,000-for-1,000” framework. The exchange was successfully implemented in three phases over the past weekend.

By Khagan Isayev