Erdogan Offers Turkey as a Platform for Negotiations Between Ukraine and Russia: Turkish President Expresses Readiness to Facilitate Peace in a Phone Call with Macron
In a recent phone call between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, an interesting and important initiative was discussed that could become key in the process of signing peace agreements in Ukraine. According to the Turkish presidential press service, Erdoğan assured that a historic moment has arrived to end the war and engage in honest negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Another significant statement was Turkey’s proposal to serve as a platform for such talks, aiming to promote long-awaited peace and stabilize the situation in Eastern Europe. According to information released on the X social media platform (formerly Twitter), Erdoğan noted that "considering the achievements indicating a historic turn in ending the conflict," it is now the time to seize this opportunity. He emphasized that Turkey is prepared to do everything possible to promote peace and stabilize the situation, including proposing to host negotiations between the conflicting parties on its territory. Details of the conversation reveal that it addressed not only regional security issues but also bilateral relations between France and Turkey, as well as the current geopolitical upheavals facing the world. Official statements from the French side have not yet been published, so all details remain in brackets, but it is evident that the topic of peace was discussed during the high-level talks. This is not the first initiative involving Turkey in the diplomatic process regarding Ukraine. Notably, just before this conversation, Erdoğan had already contacted Russian President Vladimir Putin and assured him of Ankara’s readiness to act as a neutral mediator or platform for negotiations. Consequently, Ukrainian diplomacy received strong support from its partners, and the Turkish leader took an open step toward seeking a diplomatic solution, which could potentially bring an end to the prolonged war. Overall, this initiative opens new horizons for possible conflict resolution and demonstrates the international community’s desire to seek compromises and peacefully resolve disputes. At the same time, details of the negotiation plans and responses from the parties remain unknown; however, it is clear that the personal efforts of high-ranking officials represent a significant step toward ending a war that has already devastated millions of lives for over a year and caused extensive destruction both in Ukraine and in the region as a whole.