President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday reiterated Türkiye’s goal to act as a mediator and its aim to arrange a meeting between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine in a bid to end the six-month-long war.
Türkiye has tried to steer a middle course between the two combatants and has pursued intense diplomatic efforts to end the war that has killed tens of thousands and forced more than 10 million Ukrainians from their homes.
"Our aim is to bring together (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskyy in our country, hopefully in the not-too-distant future, to open the way to set the seal on this crisis," Erdoğan said in a televised address following the Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara.
Erdoğan’s remarks come just days after he paid his first visit to Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion on Feb. 24. Erdoğan met with Zelenskyy in the western city of Lviv and held bilateral talks before they were joined by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
He repeated that Türkiye is willing to act as a "mediator and facilitator" and added, "I remain convinced that the war will end at the negotiating table."
The trilateral summit focused on diplomatic efforts to help end the war, as well as a mechanism that was set up last month to free up exports of Ukrainian grain to the world markets, which Erdoğan on Monday said were of "critical importance for humanity."
Türkiye has criticized Moscow’s invasion and provided Ukraine with arms, including drones, which played a significant role in deterring a Russian advance early in the conflict, while refusing to join the West in imposing sanctions on Russia – a stance it says has helped its mediation efforts reap results.
Earlier this month, Erdoğan also met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In March, Türkiye hosted a round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators, who discussed a possible deal to end the hostilities. The talks fell apart after the meeting in Istanbul, with both sides blaming each other.
During the last week’s trip, Erdoğan repeated that Türkiye is willing to act as a "mediator and facilitator" and said, "I remain convinced that the war will end at the negotiating table."
On Monday, he said everyone can witness that Türkiye has made every effort to ensure peace between Russia and Ukraine.
"Even the start of sending Ukrainian grain to the world through our country is a critical development for humanity," he said.
Türkiye and the U.N. on July 22 brokered a landmark agreement clearing the way for Ukraine to export some 22 million tons of corn and other grain stuck in its Black Sea ports since the Russian invasion.
The blockage has worsened world food shortages, driven up prices and heightened fears of famine, especially in Africa. More than 720,000 tons of Ukrainian grain have been shipped out of Ukraine and through the Black Sea under the deal, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said Monday.
Erdoğan on Monday said Türkiye also pays "special importance" to the Balkans, as he announced his tree-nation Balkan tour, scheduled for the first week of September. He did not name the countries.