Ankara, May 31, 2025 – The Europe Today: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has emphasized the importance of holding high-level talks between the leaders of Ukraine and Russia to advance the peace process, stressing that such discussions should take place without delay. The remarks were made during a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, according to a statement from Türkiye’s Communications Directorate.
President Erdoğan noted that the upcoming second round of Russia-Ukraine negotiations, scheduled to be held in Istanbul, presents a crucial opportunity to discuss a potential ceasefire. He underlined that this could serve as a vital step toward achieving a lasting and just peace.
The Turkish leader highlighted the significance of participation by high-level delegations to maintain the momentum built during previous negotiations. Reiterating Ankara’s continued support for peace efforts, Erdoğan expressed satisfaction with the outcomes of the first round of talks, which were also hosted in Istanbul earlier in May.
That initial round, held on May 16, concluded with a landmark agreement for a prisoner exchange—1,000 detainees from each side—as well as the commitment to prepare memorandums outlining the framework for continued negotiations. Both Moscow and Kyiv publicly welcomed the results of the meeting, raising hopes that the upcoming June round may yield further breakthroughs.
During their phone call, Erdoğan and Zelenskyy also reviewed bilateral relations and discussed key regional and global developments.
Türkiye has maintained an active role as a mediator between Kyiv and Moscow since the onset of the conflict, consistently advocating for diplomatic dialogue. President Erdoğan reaffirmed that Türkiye will persist in its efforts to facilitate a comprehensive and sustainable peace between the two nations.
