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Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said late Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could hold peace talks in Istanbul, positioning Türkiye as a trusted mediator in the ongoing conflict.
"Zelenskyy and Putin could meet in Istanbul, why not?" Yilmaz said during a joint broadcast on Haberturk TV and BloombergHT.
"Our President has managed the process resolutely with effective communication," he noted.
The vice president emphasized that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan maintains trust-based relationships with both leaders, having accepted Ukraine's legal position while conducting "extremely positive" communications with Putin.
Yilmaz highlighted Türkiye's successful mediation efforts, citing concrete results from the grain deal to prisoner exchanges. Istanbul has already hosted three rounds of direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine on May 16, June 2, and July 23, which produced major prisoner swaps and draft memorandums outlining both sides' positions for future peace negotiations.
"Türkiye is always an alternative for a solution," Yilmaz stated, underscoring the country's unique position as a mediator trusted by both Moscow and Kyiv.
Addressing Türkiye-EU relations, Yilmaz noted that a "new space has opened" in the relationship, driven by heightened global security concerns and the weakening of the liberal international order.
"International law practically no longer exists. Israel's actions are evident. We are in a new environment," he said, adding that security concerns have increased worldwide.
The vice president stressed that cooperation should extend beyond security to include economic relations, Customs Union modernization, and visa liberalization. He confirmed that decisions have been made to ease visa restrictions, particularly for the business community, though full implementation remains pending.
"We have objective common interests," Yilmaz said.
"Some member states try to reflect anti-Türkiye policies through the EU. Hopefully, we will overcome these in the new environment," he stated.
Yilmaz strongly condemned recent statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling them "unfortunate expressions with no validity that correspond to neither historical nor legal reality."
"What Netanyahu really needs to answer for is the clear and explicit genocide against Palestinians in Gaza," the vice president said.
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On Syria, Yilmaz emphasized Türkiye's support for the country's territorial integrity and unity following what he described as a revolution that removed a "cruel regime."
"We want a Syria where state authority prevails everywhere, not a Syria with different groups and armed organizations," he said.
The vice president warned that some forces, particularly Israel, do not want stability in Syria and are trying to fuel conflicts. He referenced President Erdogan's recent message in Ahlat, stating that those who follow the suggestions of "certain international powers that cannot remain permanent in this region are doomed to lose."
"We look at everyone living in Syria with equal regard. Let no one doubt this. But we also do not want Syria to be divided, fragmented, or used as a tool for imperial games," Yilmaz said.
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