Turkey has intensified its diplomatic efforts to facilitate direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, expressing its readiness to host the leaders of both sides, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, along with US President Donald Trump.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan have conducted intensive diplomacy in recent days amid growing hopes for the resumption of talks between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey.
Erdogan will host NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte today, May 13, in Ankara before the latter chairs the informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Antalya on May 14 and 15. Erdogan and Rutte are expected to discuss the agenda of the NATO meeting and efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Erdogan spoke with Zelensky yesterday, May 12, stressing the importance of the will to resume direct talks between the two sides and that Turkey is ready to provide the necessary support at every stage of the process.
In his speech after the cabinet meeting, Erdogan recalled that Turkey has always called on both sides to end the war through an agreement, emphasizing: “We came very close to finding a solution to the Russia-Ukraine crisis in March 2022. However, our efforts were hindered by the interference of the war barons.”
Erdogan assessed that recent efforts have opened a new window of opportunity and expressed his hope that "this time the opportunity will not be allowed to go to waste."
"I also addressed this issue with US President Mr. Trump last week, discussing steps that can be taken to stop the bloodshed. I support the will of my dear friend Mr. Trump to resolve heated conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy," Erdogan added.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan exchanged phone calls with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on ongoing efforts for direct talks between Moscow and Kiev in Istanbul.
In all these talks, Fidan discussed how to bring the two sides together in Istanbul on May 15, as Putin had previously suggested. Ankara has made it clear that it is ready to host both countries and contribute to the process, as was the case in March 2022.
These efforts also coincide with an informal NATO summit to be hosted by Turkey in Antalya. Foreign ministers from 32 allies will attend the meeting, which will focus on consolidating Euro-Atlantic security and increasing defense spending.
(BalkanWeb)
