Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks at the Dolmabahce Presidential Office in Istanbul before giving a joint press conference. Erdogan said negotiations between Ukraine and Russia hosted by Turkey had shown that diplomacy could produce concrete results.
“There are no losers in a just peace. I want to stress that we are ready to make every effort to pave the way for peace,” Erdogan said. He said the leaders discussed recent efforts to bring peace to Ukraine and the security situation in the Black Sea.
Erdogan said Turkey would continue talks with the parties to restore safe navigation in the Black Sea. He condemned attacks on civilian vessels and actions that could heighten tensions, and called on all parties to act responsibly. Turkey also plans to discuss the issue with Russia.
The Turkish president reaffirmed his country’s commitment to Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence. He said the free trade agreement between the two countries, signed in 2022, entered into force on October 1 and brought them closer to their goal of $10 billion in bilateral trade.
Zelenskyy said Turkey consistently supported steps to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea. He said the two sides had agreed to work on maintaining the Black Sea Grain Corridor and ensuring its effective operation.
The Ukrainian president said preparations were under way for a trilateral format involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia, planned for the first half of November. The leaders also discussed the prospects for involving Turkey and Europe in the process and the possibility of holding meetings in Turkey. They also addressed defence cooperation and new joint industrial and economic projects.
