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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on Saturday for talks on the Russia-Ukraine war, Black Sea security and bilateral cooperation.
Zelenskyy will visit Türkiye on Oct. 31, 2026, at Erdogan's invitation, Burhanettin Duran, the Turkish presidency's communications director, announced Friday.
The meeting will focus on steps to strengthen cooperation between Türkiye and Ukraine, along with regional and international developments, particularly the war with Russia and the security situation in the Black Sea, Duran explained in a post on X.
Türkiye, which maintains ties with both Russia and Ukraine, has grown increasingly concerned over attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea as the war continues to threaten maritime security and trade.
Erdogan described the attacks as "unacceptable" during his address to the U.N. General Assembly in September, urging both sides to stop targeting commercial shipping regardless of who was responsible.
Ankara has put forward a draft agreement aimed at halting attacks on civilian vessels, drawing on the framework of the Black Sea Grain Initiative brokered by Türkiye and the United Nations in 2022.
The agreement allowed Ukraine to resume grain exports by sea before Russia withdrew from the arrangement in 2023. The new Turkish proposal seeks to extend protections beyond grain shipments to cover civilian commercial vessels more broadly, with discussions between Moscow and Kyiv still ongoing.
The urgency has increased as attacks have spread across the region. Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler warned on Oct. 28 that Ankara reserved the right to take legal action if Turkish-flagged or Turkish-owned vessels came under attack.
He also pointed to threats from drones, mines and missiles, as Türkiye works with Romania and Bulgaria to improve maritime security and protect critical undersea infrastructure.
Erdogan will host Zelenskyy at his Dolmabahce office overlooking the Bosphorus, with the meeting to be followed by a news conference, according to the Turkish presidency.
The discussions are expected to cover bilateral cooperation alongside the war and security developments in the Black Sea.
Türkiye has hosted several rounds of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in pursuit of a lasting ceasefire and a peace agreement.
Ankara has sought to keep diplomatic channels open with both sides while advocating a negotiated end to the conflict.
In a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, Erdogan reaffirmed Türkiye's readiness to support efforts to revive diplomatic negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv and bring the war to an end.
The Turkish presidency also confirmed that the leaders discussed bilateral relations and broader regional and international developments.
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