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The fate of frozen Russian assets has emerged as a major area of dispute in Ukraine peace negotiations, second only to the Donbas territorial question, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said late Saturday.
"The issue of what will happen to Russian money is a very big area of dispute. Donbas is first; this is second," Fidan told Turkish media outlet TVNET in a live interview.
FM Fidan said Europeans and Brussels have different assessments regarding the frozen assets, highlighting the complexity of reaching a comprehensive settlement.
Fidan indicated that certain aspects of any peace agreement may require direct approval from Ukrainian citizens rather than political leaders alone.
"It appears that the issue will, to some extent, be concluded with elections and a referendum in Ukraine. Especially, certain issues within this agreement can only be implemented through a referendum. It may be a situation that a political leader would not want to sign alone," Fidan noted.
The foreign minister said Donbas remains the primary area of contention in ongoing negotiations, with Russians and Ukrainians articulating different positions on the remaining territory in the region.
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The foreign minister also revealed that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wanted to hear directly from Russian President Vladimir Putin on the peace process during their recent meeting.
"President Putin gave explanations on this matter. The good thing is that Mr. Putin is genuinely serious and willing to accept a ceasefire. There are certain conditions, and he is very clear about negotiating these conditions," Fidan said.
Fidan also noted that a friendship-level bond has formed between Erdogan and Putin and that Türkiye's position on the Russia-Ukraine war has been consistent from the start.
"President Erdogan's position has always been clear since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine War. We declared this even during periods when we were alone, and now everyone has come to the same line as us, as in the Syria issue," he added.
Fidan expressed concern over recent attacks on ships in the Black Sea, warning that the conflict is spreading as both sides attempt to maximize their positions.
"This is something we have warned about from the beginning—the risk of spreading, and it is spreading. Such moments occur toward the end of wars. Everyone is maximizing their hand, attacking all places, all fronts. Both sides are particularly hitting energy infrastructure," Fidan said.
The minister said Turkish companies and crew members are being affected despite operating under different flags.
"Thank Allah, no Turkish crew has been injured to date. Another incident happened again today. We just spoke with our transport minister. Our minister is also closely following all these ship incidents together with us," he noted.
FM Fidan said Türkiye is requesting agreements in two areas if a comprehensive ceasefire and peace deal cannot be achieved.
"Let's make a limited agreement on not hitting energy areas and ensuring commercial navigation safety in the Black Sea," Fidan said.
"You know, the grain agreement was actually an agreement that made this possible. Not only grain ships, but all ships were saved from being hit. For quite a while, the Black Sea and trade continued without problems while the war in Ukraine continued. The parties had put this in parentheses due to our mediation. Now the same kind of parentheses is needed again," he added.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also commented that lifting U.S. sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) could be possible in 2026.
"The basic framework of will was established during the meeting between our president and Trump at the White House. Work continues in accordance with this will, both on that and on the Halkbank case—these are the two problematic areas right now. We are very good in the remaining areas," he noted.
The minister said he expects a breakthrough on this issue very soon, emphasizing its importance for the defense industry.
"Because of CAATSA, our Defense Industry Presidency (SSB) cannot develop counterpart relationships. We need to ensure this first. Because our main actor, our professional and expert institution on this matter, is our Defense Industry Presidency," Fidan noted.
Fidan lastly noted that Türkiye has reached 80% self-sufficiency in the defense industry, but no country is entirely self-sufficient.
"Until we reach a period where we will take our own domesticity to the peak, we need to remove sanctions in certain areas, not only from America but also from Europe," Fidan said, adding that Türkiye has largely removed sanctions from Canada, Germany, and various European countries through diplomatic efforts.
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