ISTANBUL
In a phone call, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that he was glad to hear him supporting continuing the Russia-Ukraine peace talks from where they left off in Istanbul in 2022.
The call between the two leaders addressed bilateral ties and regional and global issues, according to the Turkish Communications Directorate.
Welcoming Putin’s statement on resuming peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, Erdogan said that Türkiye stands ready to host negotiations that will lead to a lasting solution.
Saying a window of opportunity to achieve peace has opened, Erdogan added that a comprehensive ceasefire would create the necessary environment for peace talks.
A later statement by the Kremlin said the Turkish side will provide all possible assistance in organizing and holding negotiations, and that during the call both Putin and Erdogan expressed mutual interest in further expanding trade and investment ties, including the implementation of joint projects in the energy sector.
The phone call followed a news conference in Moscow where Putin proposed resuming direct peace negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv in Istanbul starting Thursday. Putin also said he was set to talk with Erdogan to ask him to greenlight holding negotiations in Türkiye.
The Turkish metropolis previously hosted a series of talks in March 2022 – just after the conflict began – aimed at finding common ground to end the armed conflict, but failed to reach a settlement to the war, which is now in its fourth year.
Erdogan, a longtime champion of resolving the conflict, has repeatedly offered for Türkiye to host peace talks and do whatever it can to promote a resolution. Türkiye has the distinction of enjoying good relations with both Russia and Ukraine.
In response to Putin’s proposal, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X that Kyiv is ready to hold direct talks with Russia once Moscow confirms a “full, lasting, and reliable” ceasefire in his country, starting on Monday.
