Capai Resolution Abadi And Peaceful Russia-Ukraine, Erdogan Ready Turkey To Host A Meeting

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country was ready to host peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. In a video message at the Ukraine-Europe Southeast Summit, he expressed his belief that diplomacy and dialogue must be pursued to achieve a "fair and lasting resolution" to the war in Ukraine that has been raging since February 2022. "To achieve this goal, it is very important to take advantage of diplomatic channels at the highest level of each route," Erdogan said as quoted by Anadolu via Antara, Thursday, February 9. "Turkey's support for the independence, sovereignty, security and integrity of the Ukrainian territory is well known to everyone. We are also making every effort to protect the rights and interests of our Tatar colleagues in Crimea," he added. There has been no significant progress in realizing peace, Erdogan said, adding that uniting the two sides is very important for the success of peaceful initiatives. "I argue that joint efforts should begin, at least in determining peace parameters in general," he said. Erdogan also said that Turkey "in principle" supports the peaceful formula of 10 steps promoted by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and is ready to contribute to "fast recovery and reconstruction" in the war-torn country. Erdogan reiterated that Turkey has tried to lead various efforts for food security. "The Black Sea Grain Initiative, created and played an important role through our efforts, is also a priority on our agenda," he added. He stressed the need for maritime safety regulations in the Black Sea and Turkey to negotiate new rules regarding UN-backed security commitments. Turkey, which is internationally praised for its unique role as a Ukrainian-Russian mediator, has repeatedly called on the two warring countries to end fighting through negotiations. Turkey's peaceful efforts yielded significant results, such as the wheat deal in July 2022, and the exchange of prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine. Moscow did not extend the agreement after July 2023 citing restrictions on Russian grain exports.

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