Newsletters
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy began high-level talks Thursday at Ankara's Presidential Complex, as Türkiye continues its diplomatic efforts to broker peace in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Erdogan personally welcomed Zelenskyy at the entrance to the complex before the leaders moved to closed-door discussions, according to Turkish officials.
The meeting, which began after Zelenskyy arrived at Esenboga Airport at 12:14 p.m. local time, comes ahead of anticipated Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations, though no date has been confirmed for those talks.
Several key Turkish officials joined the bilateral discussions, including National Defense Minister Yasar Guler, National Intelligence Organization head Ibrahim Kalin, and Akif Cagatay Kilic, chief presidential advisor on foreign policy and security.
"President Erdogan and President Zelenskyy are expected to discuss the latest developments in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, addressing the situation from all angles," Türkiye's Communications Director Fahrettin Altun wrote on X.
Altun added that during the visit, Erdogan is expected to emphasize "Türkiye's call for an immediate ceasefire and the start of peace negotiations."
The Ukrainian leader was greeted at the airport by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and other officials who were already in Türkiye for a NATO foreign ministers meeting taking place in Antalya, on Türkiye's southern Mediterranean coast.
Following their initial talks, the delegations are scheduled to continue discussions during a working lunch, according to Turkish officials.
Türkiye has maintained a delicate balancing act since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began, condemning the war while refusing to join Western sanctions against Moscow.
The country has previously hosted peace talks between the warring nations and facilitated agreements on grain exports from Ukrainian ports.
4 min read
