Türkiye is ready to contribute to ending the Russia-Ukraine war through diplomacy, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Friday and invited both leaders for a meeting in Türkiye.
"I stated that we will continue to contribute to the solution to the war through diplomacy and negotiations.
"Just as I told (Russian President Vladimir) Putin during my Sochi visit, I reminded (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskyy that we could host the meeting between them," Erdoğan told Turkish press members on board the presidential plane following a one-day working visit to Ukraine.
Erdoğan, Zelenskyy and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres gathered in the Ukrainian city of Lviv to discuss steps to end the Ukraine-Russia war through diplomatic means and maintain a mechanism recently established for the export of Ukrainian grain to world markets.
"We also evaluated the possibilities of transforming the positive atmosphere created by the Istanbul agreement into a permanent peace," Erdoğan said.
Erdoğan said Türkiye, Ukraine and the United Nations discussed steps that can be taken for Ukrainian grain exports and called on the international community to assume responsibility to revive the diplomatic process.
Türkiye, the United Nations, Russia and Ukraine signed a deal in Istanbul on July 22 to reopen three Ukrainian Black Sea ports for exporting Ukrainian grain stuck due to the war, which is now in its sixth month.
Erdoğan said he has separately met with Zelenskyy and Putin since the war started, adding that Türkiye will bring this issue at the U.N. General Assembly in September.
"The messages to be conveyed there are very, very meaningful. The messages that we and other countries will give there are very important," he said.
During the trilateral meeting in Lviv, Erdoğan raised his concern about the ongoing conflict around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, and said: "We do not want to experience a new Chernobyl."
He told reporters that the Zaporizhzhia issue is not an "ordinary issue," noting that Ukraine has both its own technical staff and soldiers in Zaporizhzhia.
Erdoğan also said Zelenskyy demanded the removal of Russian mines from the area.
"We will discuss this issue with Putin, and we will especially ask him for this so that Russia should do its part in this regard as an important step for world peace," he added.
Lviv meeting
On his talks with Zelenskyy and Ukrainian officials, Erdoğan said they discussed ties at the strategic partnership level, covering all dimensions and ways to advance cooperation and solidarity.
He also reiterated Ankara's strong support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty.
He said Türkiye is working to end conflicts diplomatically, adding that Ankara has "stood by our Ukrainian friends and we continue to do so."
Erdoğan said he told Zelenskyy that Türkiye will provide the necessary support for the reconstruction of Ukrainian infrastructure damaged in the war.
Türkiye has sent 98 humanitarian aid trucks to meet the urgent needs of Ukrainians, he said.
"We've been temporarily hosting nearly 325,000 Ukrainians. We've admitted a total of 1,507 people, including 1,099 orphans and 408 care staff, until conditions in Ukraine return to normal."
Erdoğan called on the international community to assume greater responsibility in diplomacy between Russia and Ukraine.
"What matters is finding the shortest and fairest way to the negotiating table," he said.
The Turkish president said he believes the war will eventually end at the negotiating table, a view shared by Zelenskyy and Guterres.
Discussions were also held on the exchange of prisoners of war, an issue to which Türkiye attaches "great importance," he added.
"We're ready to act as a facilitator or mediator towards the goal of reviving negotiations upon the parameters that took form in Istanbul," he said.
Türkiye will discuss the outcome of these meetings with Putin and the Russian side, he said.
Erdoğan also thanked his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda for "providing support to his journey to Ukraine" on Thursday.
With Ukrainian airspace closed due to the ongoing war, the Turkish president's trip was "partially via Poland," according to Türkiye's Communications Directorate.
In a phone call with Duba after meeting the Ukrainian and U.N. leaders, Erdoğan said the trio "held talks which would hopefully contribute to the peace process in Ukraine."
Duda congratulated Erdoğan for his "constructive role and efforts aimed at solving the Russia-Ukraine crisis, and for his contributions to the grain export deal," read a directorate statement.
Duda also invited Erdoğan to Poland for talks, the statement added.
Support to Ukraine
Türkiye is committed to supporting Ukraine’s political sovereignty and territorial integrity, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun also said on Friday, emphasizing the need for a diplomatic solution to the ongoing Russian invasion.
"To help facilitate dialogue and diplomatic solutions, Türkiye has been working with both Russia and Ukraine while engaging the United Nations as well. The countries who support Ukraine must spend more energy on diplomacy to end the war as soon as possible," Altun wrote on Twitter.
"The war in Ukraine has already caused great humanitarian suffering and resulted in geopolitical fractures in our region. The implications have already been far-reaching and the conflict needs to end through diplomatic negotiations," he added.
Saying that Erdoğan held talks with Zelenskyy and Guterres, Altun said that the country has been at the forefront of diplomatic efforts to broker a cease-fire and facilitate peace talks.
"President Erdoğan’s visit to Ukraine has been a testament to his belief in diplomatic solutions achieved through engagement with relevant leaders and multilateralism in the international arena. The international community must support these efforts to achieve peace and stability," he added.
He also indicated that Türkiye has supported Ukraine on many fronts, including humanitarian help. "The Istanbul Agreement on grain exports has been a breakthrough relieving the pressure on the global food supply chain."