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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Thursday that Türkiye does not want the Russia-Ukraine war to expand into the Black Sea, as his Ukrainian counterpart said talks between the two countries' presidents could be held in Türkiye.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in Kyiv, Fidan said the risk of the conflict spreading, a concern Türkiye has raised since the war began, remains serious, with tensions escalating in various ways and developments threatening Black Sea security deepening those concerns.
"We do not want the war to be carried into the Black Sea," Fidan said.
"The targeting of ports, tankers and fishing boats in Black Sea and putting civilians' lives at risk cannot be justified," he added, calling on all parties to act with prudence and responsibility.
Ukraine and Russia have repeatedly struck each other's ships in the Black Sea, a key waterway for both countries' exports, throughout the conflict since February 2022.
Fidan said he believed it would be highly beneficial for the Türkiye-mediated Istanbul talks to continue under the same framework, saying Türkiye is exploring new strategic approaches to break the current deadlock, with fresh ideas discussed with the parties and mediators.
"The fact that the war is continuing does not mean negotiations in this format cannot continue," he said, noting that after the Istanbul talks, U.S. negotiators became involved in seeking a more conclusive resolution.
"Unfortunately, as of today, the war is still ongoing and the risk of escalation is increasing," Fidan said.
Türkiye hosted peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in the war's early weeks, and again in mid-2025.
Fidan said one of the key pillars of any potential peace agreement would be security guarantees for Ukraine covering land, sea and air components.
"Türkiye has agreed to lead the maritime component, and we have a common understanding on this with our allies. Planning efforts on this issue are also being carried out by the naval forces of the relevant allied countries," he said.
Fidan welcomed Ukraine's parliament ratifying the Türkiye-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (FTA) the day before his visit, thanking Sybiha for his role in the process.
He said the agreement would elevate the two countries' trade relationship to a "strategic level" after the war, benefiting not just Türkiye and Ukraine but regional and international trade partners through expanded connectivity.
He noted bilateral trade reached $6.6 billion in 2025 despite wartime conditions and said he expected it to rise significantly once the war ends.
The top Turkish diplomat noted Türkiye's developed infrastructure offered the most reliable route for contributing to Ukraine's energy security and supply needs, and said Turkish companies would continue supporting Ukraine's reconstruction and economic recovery after the war.
Fidan said Crimean Tatars hold a special place in Türkiye-Ukraine relations.
"We maintain our principled stance on the illegal annexation of Crimea from the very beginning, and we closely follow developments in the region. I want to once again emphasize that Türkiye will always stand behind our Crimean Tatar kin," he said.
Responding to a question later, Fidan said Türkiye continues to press, including in talks with Russia, for the release of imprisoned Crimean Tatar leaders.
"The Crimean Tatars belong to the Turkic world. And not just us, but all Turkic states maintain sensitivity on this issue. We will continue to do everything we can for Crimean Tatars to reclaim their own rights," he said.
Fidan said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan approaches ending the war with the principle that "there is no winner in war, and no loser in peace."
He said the continuation of a conventional war in Europe for five years in the 21st century had no justification and that it carried a growing risk of spreading geographically and in the types of weapons used.
"We need peace more than ever," he said.
Fidan said Türkiye remains one of the few countries actively engaging both Russia and Ukraine to advance peace efforts, noting he had listened to Russia's position during a visit to Moscow and shared his analysis with both sides, including the U.S. in its mediating role.
He reiterated the importance of Black Sea navigational and commercial security, saying he had raised it with Russian officials in Moscow and would raise it again in Thursday's talks.
He noted the U.N. had proposed a commitment framework on energy security and Black Sea navigational safety even as fighting continues across other fronts, recalling that a grain agreement two years ago had allowed Ukrainian grain to reach world markets freely, contributing significantly to food security, including in Africa.
Fidan stated that while Türkiye's primary goal remains ending the war outright, Ankara would consider a temporary moratorium on strikes in a few critical areas if an immediate peace proves impossible. He noted that these targeted ceasefires could focus specifically on Black Sea security and energy infrastructure. He emphasized that Türkiye's proposals remain firmly on the table, adding that Ukraine already shares a "serious common understanding" on the concept.
Fidan said Türkiye has continuously monitored the region since the war began, saying escalation trends were a source of concern.
"We wanted to think that the destructive point we've now reached in the war might, Allah willing, be the harbinger of a nearby peace and ceasefire, as they say, the darkest point of the night comes right before dawn," he said.
He said his highest-level contacts in Moscow indicated both sides remain willing to engage in talks, whether mediated by Türkiye or the U.S., which he called critically important for negotiations.
"There are certainly things that would be unacceptable for Ukraine. What can this general framework evolve into under current conditions? That's what negotiators need to be working on right now. I've seen on both sides an urgent need, not just for Russia and Ukraine, but for the international community, for a ceasefire and peace agreement. We will continue doing everything we can to make that possible," he said.
Sybiha said Ukraine supports the possibility of a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin taking place in Türkiye as part of efforts to end the war.
"We state that negotiations, particularly a possible meeting between President Zelenskyy and Putin, could take place in Türkiye," Sybiha said, adding: "I believe only a summit of leaders can inject new momentum into the peace process."
Sybiha credited Erdogan with making intensive efforts to end the war and said Ankara was among the world's leading centers of diplomacy for reaching peace faster.
"We must engage diplomacy as much as possible and sit at the negotiating table to end this war," he said.
He said Ukraine had made genuine proposals on how to end the conflict and reiterated that Ukraine was ready for a ceasefire, while stressing Kyiv would not accept any resolution compromising its territorial integrity or sovereignty.
"Ukraine does not accept any solution that would undermine our territorial integrity or sovereignty," he said.
Sybiha said Black Sea navigational security had been severely undermined since Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea.
"The security architecture in the Black Sea has been almost entirely destroyed since Russia's occupation of Crimea," he said, calling Türkiye an invaluable actor for regional security. "We must restore the balance of Black Sea security. Türkiye, with its presence and naval fleet in the Black Sea, is today NATO's strongest state on this matter," Sybiha said.
Sybiha also noted the two ministers had discussed the Türkiye-Ukraine-Syria trilateral cooperation mechanism, and reiterated that the recently ratified Free Trade Agreement was a "historic development," noting Türkiye is Ukraine's third-largest trading partner and that annual trade volume was expected to grow further once the agreement takes effect.
He said the NATO Ankara summit, where an aid package for Ukraine was announced, had been very important from Kyiv's perspective.
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