6 hours agoRussia-Ukrainian peace talks could resume in Turkey, Erdogan says
Periskopi(a year ago)
(a year ago)Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan has voiced hope that Turkey will again serve as a key mediator between Russia and Ukraine, reaffirming Ankara's commitment to revive peace negotiations aimed at ending the war. “As the negotiating table [between Russia and Ukraine] was established in Istanbul, the peace table [...]
“As the negotiating table [between Russia and Ukraine] was set up in Istanbul, the peace table will be established in Turkey in a not too distant future, and this bloody war will end”, Erdogan said on Monday, following a cabinet meeting in Ankara, foreign media write, Telegrafi quoted.
His comments came less than a week after Istanbul hosted the third round of renewed Ukraine-Russia peace talks on July 23rd, following previous rounds in May and June.
The meetings, which have remained largely out of focus, included official diplomacy and secret diplomacy, with Turkey reportedly facilitating contacts between top advisers and security officials on both sides.
Ankara earlier hosted high profile negotiations in March 2022, when Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Istanbul for direct talks just weeks after the war began.
As those talks finally stalled, they paved the way for deals such as the Black Sea Brain Initiative, which now no longer exists, which Turkey and the United Nations also brokered.
Turkey has positioned itself as a neutral party throughout the conflict, maintaining relations with both Kiev and Moscow.
Erdogan has repeatedly offered to mediate and has stressed the need for diplomacy on escalation, including energy, security and humanitarian corridors.
While details from the last rounds remain few, Turkish officials have described the talks as “construction”, with the aim of laying the foundations for a broader ceasefire framework.
President Erdogan's renewed push for diplomacy comes amid a prolonged military stalemate in Ukraine and growing global fatigue due to prolonged conflict. /Periscope/
