UPDATE - Türkiye 'ready' to host peace talks for Ukraine peace, President Erdogan tells Zelenskyy

ADDS BACKGROUND

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Türkiye is "ready" to undertake the role of a facilitator and host talks to ensure peace in Ukraine, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday.

In a phone call, Erdogan and Zelenskyy discussed regional and global issues, especially the Ukraine war, Türkiye's Communications Directorate said on X.

Türkiye is making "intense efforts" to stop the bloodshed in both Ukraine and the Palestinian territories and to ensure permanent peace, Erdogan said.

He added that it is important for the Black Sea grain corridor to be restructured and become operational, and that he continues diplomatic contacts for this purpose.

A cease-fire should be achieved in Ukraine as soon as possible and the door should be opened for peace, the Turkish leader added.

Last July, Russia withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, saying that the Russian part of the agreement had not been implemented. It sought the loosening of banking restrictions and the ability to ship its own fertilizer before returning to the deal.

The agreement, initially signed in July in 2022 in Istanbul by Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine, was aimed at resuming grain exports from Ukrainian ports halted due to the war, which began in February 2022.

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.

Erdogan has repeatedly stressed his wish to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy together in Türkiye for formal discussions to end the conflict.