“There is a trend towards dialogue.” How is Ankara trying to reconcile Moscow and Kiev?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a phone call with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he wanted to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Just yesterday, during the negotiations, Zelensky expressed his desire to meet with Putin. “Turkey maintains its hopes,” said Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu.

Following his meeting with Zelensky, Erdogan confirmed Ankara’s readiness to continue providing necessary support, including mediating, for the resumption of Moscow-Kyiv talks.

In a phone call with Putin that same day, the Turkish president suggested holding a meeting in Istanbul between Russia, Ukraine and the UN. Erdogan also expressed his concerns about the safety of navigation in the Black Sea and Azov Seas and called for the problem to be resolved.

Ankara has repeatedly sought to advance negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv, and Erdogan has expressed hope that the conflict in Ukraine will end as soon as the parties reconcile. However, the negotiation process has stalled. According to the President of Turkey, the situation is getting worse day by day.

Zelensky has repeatedly stated that he is ready to meet with Putin and has asked other heads of state to help organize the negotiations. In response, Erdogan offered several times to hold a meeting in Turkey. On May 28, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Putin to meet directly with Zelensky and withdraw troops from Ukraine.

Turkey will not support sanctions

The Turkish Foreign Minister also said that Ankara will not participate in sanctions against Moscow.

“The sanctions against Russia also affected Turkey. Our position is understood and should be understood because of the mediating role we occupy. “Our position is clear, we are not connected, and we will not allow it to be done through us,” he said.

According to the minister, they are in favor of a dialogue between Russia and Ukraine in their country and there will be no victory through the use of force.

“There has been a renewed trend towards dialogue lately. Especially for Ukraine, the cost of the war is very high. “Turkey is trying to restart face-to-face talks between Russia and Ukraine, including at the level of heads of state,” he said.

At the same time, in April, Çavuşoğlu admitted that Ankara would have to participate in anti-Russian sanctions if approved by the UN. So far, Turkish authorities have avoided such measures. According to the Turkish Foreign Minister, the imposition of sanctions “will not solve the problem.”

Meeting with Lavrov

Continuing to talk about Ankara’s negotiation efforts, Çavuşoğlu announced that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit Turkey.

“Lavrov will come to Turkey on June 8 to discuss the opening of a security corridor in the Black Sea, including the issue of transporting grain-carrying ships,” the Turkish Foreign Minister said.

As Çavuşoğlu stated, the head of the Russian diplomatic office will come accompanied by a military delegationHe will also meet with the Turkish side.

The situation in which grains are blocked in Ukrainian ports was previously discussed by Putin and Erdogan. Then the President of the Russian Federation noted that the Russian side is ready to promote the unhindered transit of goods by sea, in coordination with the Turkish partners.

Turkey’s stance on the possible NATO membership of Sweden and Finland depends on how Ankara will respond to their demands.

We have met our conditions, we are waiting for a reply. “They need to stop supporting terrorist organizations and give us appropriate guarantees,” Cavusoglu said.