Ankara, June 3, 2025 – The Europe Today: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday proposed hosting a summit in Istanbul involving the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and the United States, aiming to transform the city into a “center of peace.”
Speaking after a cabinet meeting, President Erdoğan expressed his “greatest wish” to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy together in Istanbul or Ankara for high-level talks. Erdoğan also suggested extending the invitation to U.S. President Donald Trump, adding that his goal is to foster dialogue and peace in the region.
The meeting comes amid ongoing diplomatic efforts, as Russian and Ukrainian delegations gathered in Istanbul for a second round of negotiations. Reflecting on the progress made, Erdoğan noted the significant achievements of the talks, particularly the successful prisoner exchanges. “Although there had been prisoner exchanges before, this time the number of prisoner exchanges exceeded a thousand. Beyond that, there was also the return of some bodies from Russia and Ukraine. These numbers are large, and we are truly proud of this,” Erdoğan stated.
He emphasized that, should the summit take place in Türkiye, he would personally engage in discussions with the leaders, aiming to further solidify Istanbul’s role as a hub for peace efforts.
Despite the ongoing tensions, including Sunday’s air attack by Ukraine targeting Russian military aircraft, Erdoğan praised the talks as a “significant achievement” and reiterated Türkiye’s long-standing position of advocating for peace. “Türkiye’s stance has been clear since the first day of the war. We never wanted to see conflict, fighting, war, and oppression in the region,” he said. “We are sincerely striving to establish a sustainable peace that both sides will accept. Türkiye is a country that has earned everyone’s trust with its fair stance.”
Syria Developments
In addition to discussions surrounding the Ukraine conflict, President Erdoğan also addressed the situation in Syria. He expressed optimism about Syria’s path to stability, stating, “As Syria achieves stability and peace, we believe that all its neighbors and all countries in the region will benefit from it.”
Erdoğan welcomed the decision by European countries to lift sanctions on Syria, noting that the country is recovering rapidly with the support of regional allies such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia. “We will continue to support the Syrian people and government, our neighbors and brothers, with all our resources, God willing,” he added.
Furthermore, Erdoğan announced that Turkish airline AJet would be operating regular flights to Syria, while Syrian Airlines is set to resume flights to Türkiye, signaling improved bilateral relations.
The developments reflect Türkiye’s ongoing diplomatic efforts to promote peace and stability in the region, positioning the country as a key player in the resolution of both the Ukrainian crisis and the situation in Syria.
