The key facts
- Erdogan and Trump discussed bilateral ties, Ukraine, the Strait of Hormuz and Yemen in a telephone conversation
- Turkey declared its readiness to support the resumption of talks between Russia and Ukraine
- A new round of talks between Russia, the US and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi is planned for after November 4; the final date has not been agreed
A telephone conversation between the two presidents
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump held a telephone conversation devoted to bilateral relations as well as regional and global issues. This was reported by the press service of the Turkish leader; the conversation is also covered by the Turkish outlet Anadolu citing the Communications Directorate of the Turkish presidency.
The Ukraine topic and diplomacy
According to the Turkish side, Erdogan expressed readiness to support efforts to resume diplomatic talks between Ukraine and Russia and to end the war. He emphasized Ankara's interest in a political settlement and its intention to back initiatives capable of bringing the parties back to the negotiating table. At the same time, Turkish authorities did not specify whether Erdogan proposed a specific venue for a meeting or discussed holding the talks on Turkish territory — as Life.ru points out.
Context: the talks in Abu Dhabi
The statement came against the backdrop of preparations for a new round of trilateral consultations between Russia, the US and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi. As Life.ru previously reported, citing Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, the meeting is planned for after November 4, but the final date has not yet been agreed. According to Ushakov, the timing will depend, among other things, on the situation at the front and the overall international situation; he also denied reports that the meeting would take place specifically on November 4, noting that Moscow has not yet sent relevant proposals to the other participants. Thus, Turkey's readiness to join the diplomatic efforts remains, for now, a statement of intent: specific formats and venues were not disclosed in the conversation with Trump.
Other topics of the conversation
In addition to the Ukrainian settlement, the interlocutors discussed the situation in the Middle East. Erdogan said that participants in the Mecca agreement on collective defense are closely monitoring the situation around the Strait of Hormuz and Yemen and seek to resolve contradictions through diplomatic means. The Turkish leader also confirmed his course toward strengthening relations with Washington and touched on the upcoming centenary of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2027, expressing his intention to give cooperation an additional boost. Trump, for his part, congratulated Erdogan and the Turkish people on Republic Day, celebrated on October 29, and wished success for the upcoming summit of the Organization of Turkic States.
