UPDATE - Türkiye ready to again host peace negotiations between Russia, Ukraine: President Erdogan

ADDS MORE REMARKS BY BY TURKISH PRESIDENT ERDOGAN; DETAILS

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye is ready to again host peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, the Turkish president said on Wednesday.

In a video message sent to the Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he maintains his view that diplomacy and dialogue should be given a chance for a “fair and lasting resolution” of the Ukraine war, which began in February 2022.

“To achieve this goal, utilizing diplomatic channels at the highest level from every possible avenue is of great importance,” Erdogan said.

“Türkiye’s support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, security and territorial integrity is well known to all. We are also making every effort to protect the rights and interests of our Crimean Tatar compatriots,” he added.

Erdogan said sufficient progress has not been made towards establishing peace, and bringing both parties together is crucial for the success of peace initiatives.

“I’m of the opinion that joint efforts should be initiated, at least on determining general parameters of peace,” he said.

The president said Türkiye “in principle” supports Ukrainian President Zelenskyy's 10-step peace formula, and is ready to contribute to "swift recovery and reconstruction" of the war-torn country.

Erdogan reiterated that Türkiye has taken on a leadership role in the efforts related to the food security aspect.

“The Black Sea Grain Initiative, established and which played a critical role through our efforts, also maintains its place on our agenda,” he added.

Erdogan also underlined the need for Black Sea maritime safety regulations, and that Ankara is in talks for a new UN-backed regulation on security commitments.

Türkiye, internationally praised for its unique mediator role between Ukraine and Russia, has time and again called on Kyiv and Moscow to end the fighting through negotiations.

Turkish peace efforts were fruitful with some significant results, such as the landmark grain deal in July 2022, and exchange of prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine. Moscow did not extend the deal after July 2023 citing restrictions on Russian grain exports.

Türkiye first hosted a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers in the Mediterranean city of Antalya in March 2022.