Erdoğan: Türkiye ready to contribute to end Russia-Ukraine war

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Türkiye is ready to offer contributions to end the Russia-Ukraine war through negotiations with the vision of a diplomatic solution.

According to a statement by the Presidential Communications Directorate, Erdoğan said it is necessary to keep diplomatic channels open under all conditions.

The two leaders held a phone call to discuss recent developments regarding the war.

Erdoğan also thanked Zelenskyy for his message of condolences issued for the recent mine disaster in Türkiye’s Bartın province, which killed 41 miners.

Türkiye is one of the most active countries working to ensure a permanent cease-fire between Ukraine and Russia. Its delicately balanced act of assuming a role as a mediator by keeping communication channels with both warring sides open provides a glimmer of hope in diplomatic efforts to find a solution and achieve peace in the Ukraine crisis. With its unique position of having friendly relations with both Russia and Ukraine, Türkiye has won widespread praise for its push to end the war.

Most recently, Türkiye enabled a prisoner swap between the warring countries. Also, Turkish mediation proved vital in facilitating the signing of a deal between Türkiye, the United Nations, Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul to reopen certain Ukrainian ports to release grain that had been stuck for months because of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war – a development that has been crucial in responding to a growing global food crisis.