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Türkiye marked 34 years of diplomatic relations with Ukraine as Ankara continues to play a prominent mediating role in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Türkiye was among the first countries to recognize Ukraine following the collapse of the Soviet Union, formally establishing diplomatic ties on Feb. 3, 1992.
Türkiye recognized Ukraine on Dec. 16, 1991, shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the two countries formally established diplomatic relations in February 1992.
Relations were elevated to the level of a strategic partnership in 2011 with the establishment of the High-Level Strategic Council mechanism.
In 2017, the two countries introduced an ID-based travel regime to strengthen economic and people-to-people ties.
Ankara and Kyiv cooperate closely on international platforms including the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Following Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, Türkiye reaffirmed its support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and said it does not recognize the annexation.
Ukraine’s ambassador to Ankara is Neriman Celal, while Türkiye’s ambassador to Kyiv is Levent Bilgen.
Since the start of the war in February 2022, Türkiye has been among the few countries able to maintain communication with both sides and bring them to the negotiating table.
Türkiye hosted Russian and Ukrainian delegations in both Antalya and Istanbul in 2022 and later played a key role in brokering the Black Sea Grain Initiative, signed in Istanbul on July 22, 2022, by the United Nations, Russia, Türkiye and Ukraine.
Ankara also mediated a major prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine in September 2023 following initiatives by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Türkiye intensified diplomatic efforts in 2025, hosting multiple rounds of talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul.
Negotiations were held at the Presidential Dolmabahce Office on May 16, 2025, where the parties agreed on a large-scale “1,000-for-1,000” prisoner exchange and to continue discussions on a potential ceasefire. The exchange was completed on May 25, 2025.
A second round of talks on June 2 led to agreements on the return of frozen remains of 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers and the exchange of severely wounded, ill and under-25 prisoners.
The two sides met again in July in Istanbul for a third round, agreeing on another exchange involving around 1,200 people and the release of prisoners held for more than three years.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has visited Türkiye multiple times since the war began.
President Erdogan also visited the Ukrainian city of Lviv in August 2022 while the conflict was ongoing.
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