The key facts
- Erdoğan said he “will discuss again” the Ukrainian issue with Putin and Zelensky
- Turkey supports Trump’s diplomatic efforts to end the war
- Istanbul may once again become a venue for talks; earlier Ankara offered a venue for a trilateral format
Erdoğan is ready to return to the topic of Ukraine in talks with Putin
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he intends to once again discuss ways to settle the conflict in Ukraine with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. He told journalists this upon returning from Baku, as reported by Life.ru. “We have repeatedly discussed these issues with Mr. Putin and will discuss them again,” the Turkish president’s words were quoted by Gazeta.Ru citing TASS.
Contacts with Kyiv and Washington
According to Erdoğan, last week he held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and plans to continue dialogue with the Ukrainian side. Ankara also maintains contacts with US President Donald Trump and European leaders. The Turkish president specifically emphasized his support for Washington’s diplomatic efforts: “We follow the efforts of US President Donald Trump with appreciation and support them. And today we say that this bloodshed must end.” Earlier, on November 7, in a phone call Erdoğan confirmed to Trump Turkey’s readiness to help facilitate a settlement and the importance of contacts with both Moscow and Kyiv.
Istanbul as a possible venue
Erdoğan added that Istanbul could once again become a venue for talks on Ukraine: the grain corridor initiative and Ankara’s role in prisoner exchanges, in his assessment, are “an unprecedented example of Turkey’s key position in the peace process.” This statement builds on a position reported earlier: on October 22, a source in the Turkish government said that Turkey was ready to provide a venue for trilateral talks on a settlement. No specific dates for a new meeting with Putin are given in the publications.
