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The National
12-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
Turkey ready to host Ukraine peace talks, Erdogan tells Putin
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that Turkey is willing to host negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, after the Russian leader proposed direct talks in the Turkish city. In a phone call with Mr Putin on Sunday, the Turkish leader said he welcomed the Russian leader's statement that peace talks between Russia and Ukraine could take place in Istanbul, and said that Turkey was "ready to host negotiations that would ensure a permanent solution', a statement from the Turkish President's office said. 'In these negotiations, Turkey and President Erdogan will always stand on the side of justice and make sure all parties feel this,' Halil Korkmaz, a deputy chairman of foreign affairs at Mr Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), told The National. 'In fact, it is precisely because they believe in this that they choose to work with Turkey.' Earlier on Sunday, Mr Putin proposed direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul on Thursday to 'eliminate the root causes of the conflict' and 'to achieve the restoration of a long-term, lasting peace', Reuters reported. The meeting should take place 'without preconditions,' Mr Putin said from the Kremlin. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would 'be waiting for Putin' in the Turkish city, but said Russia should accept a full, temporary 30-day ceasefire before negotiations could start. Ukraine's leader met in Kyiv on Saturday with the leaders of France, Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom to hammer out details of the proposal, which would lead to more sanctions on Moscow if not accepted by the Kremlin. Writing on his Truth Social platform, Donald Trump said Mr Zelenskyy should accept Mr Putin's offer to meet in Istanbul. 'Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY,' he wrote. Much of the detail of Thursday's proposed meeting in Istanbul remains unclear, although Turkey has maintained relations with both Kyiv and Moscow over the course of the conflict, now in its fourth year. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Saturday attended a meeting of European officials on Ukraine and said the country was ready to help observe a ceasefire, if established, according to a Turkish Foreign Ministry official. "Mr Fidan emphasised Turkey's commitment to Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty," the official said in written remarks provided to journalists, on condition of anonymity. "He stated that Turkey supports the establishment of an unconditional ceasefire and efforts in this direction." Turkey hosted talks in Istanbul soon after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which nearly led to an early end to the conflict. But the negotiations broke down before the warring parties could agree to the terms of a resolution. Alongside the UN, Ankara also helped broker a deal in 2022 that allowed more than 30 million tonnes of grain to pass through the Black Sea despite the conflict, although Russia refused to renew the agreement in 2023, claiming some terms of the deal were not fulfilled. Turkey has also in recent months hosted separate talks between the United States and Russia over diplomatic rapprochement between the two countries, involving technical talks over the functioning of their embassies and diplomatic appointments. Under mounting international pressure to reach a ceasefire, Russia and Ukraine still have significant sticking points over how the war should end, and it is not clear that a permanent ceasefire will result from one meeting in Istanbul. Russia wants Ukraine to withdraw its troops from four regions of the country claimed by Moscow, and for Kyiv to drop its ambitions to join Nato – a move that Ukrainian officials still want on the table. Ukraine rejects the idea of recognition of Russian sovereignty over areas of its territory.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Erdogan says efforts to end Ukraine war at 'turning point'
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday told Russian and French leaders that a "historic turning point" has been reached in efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war and that Ankara was ready to host talks between the two warring parties, his office said. NATO member Turkey has sought to maintain good relations with both of its Black Sea neighbours since the Russian invasion began and has twice hosted talks aimed at ending the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday he expected Moscow to commit to a 30-day ceasefire, adding that Kyiv was "ready" to meet Russia for direct truce talks if it did so. His comments came after Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed direct negotiations with Ukraine on May 15 in Istanbul but did not address the 30-day ceasefire proposal. Erdogan welcomed the Russian leader's statement that peace talks should resume in Istanbul where they left off, in a phone call with Putin on Sunday, his office announced. He told Putin that "Turkey is ready to host negotiations aimed at achieving a lasting solution," according to his office. Erdogan also said that "a window of opportunity has opened for reaching peace, and that achieving a comprehensive ceasefire would create the necessary environment for peace talks." - 'Window of opportunity' - The Turkish leader also spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron, who visited Kyiv on Saturday with the leaders of Germany, Britain and Poland. The leaders of France, the UK, Germany and Poland pressured Russia -- with US President Donald Trump's support -- to commit to an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine starting from Monday. In a phone call, Erdogan told Macron that "a historic turning point has been reached in efforts to end the war between Ukraine and Russia, that this opportunity must be seized, and that Turkey is ready to provide all kinds of support, including hosting negotiations, to achieve a ceasefire and lasting peace," the Turkish presidency said. Paris confirmed the phone call between the two leaders took place. On May 5, Trump said he wanted to work with Erdogan to end the Ukraine war, after the two leaders spoke by telephone. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan took part in a meeting on Saturday of European countries supporting Ukraine. According to a Turkish diplomatic source who wished to remain anonymous, Fidan said: "Turkey is ready to undertake its duty in observing the ceasefire if it is established." fo/sbk
