A high-profile delegation from Türkiye is en route to Ukraine to discuss cooperation and bilateral relations as part of a visit that will be marked by an inaugural meeting of a task force engaged in the reconstruction of the war-torn nation.
The delegation is led by Trade Minister Ömer Bolat and Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumaklı, who will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday as well as their counterparts, the Turkish Trade Ministry said in a statement.
Bolat and Yumaklı are being accompanied by businesspeople, including representatives from the Turkish Contractors Association as well as 25 companies operating in the contracting and technical consultancy sectors, the statement released on Wednesday said.
The visit will be marked by the first meeting of the Türkiye-Ukraine Reconstruction Task Force, which was established in Istanbul last year.
It was set up as part of a deal signed in August 2022 and overseen by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Zelenskyy.
The group will be responsible for coordinating work to rebuild facilities of social and economic importance, including roads, bridges, water and electricity infrastructure, hospitals and schools.
The inaugural meeting of the task force will be co-chaired by Bolat and Oleksiy Kuleba, Ukraine's deputy prime minister responsible for reconstruction and minister for communities and territories development, the statement said.
Officials have said Ankara is stepping up initiatives before the European Union for Türkiye to take part in the 50 billion euro ($52.27 billion) fund created for the reconstruction of Ukraine.
This visit is regarded as a critical step toward advancing cooperation between Türkiye and Ukraine, with a focus on projects aimed at rebuilding war-damaged infrastructure and highlighting the involvement of Turkish contractors.
The Turkish builders have already undertaken urgent projects during the war, including roads, bridges, energy infrastructure and housing construction, amounting to $1.2 billion across 100 projects, the Trade Ministry said.
To date, companies have completed some 350 projects in Ukraine worth $10 billion
The talks in Kyiv will also focus on the implementation of a free trade agreement and ways to further advance bilateral relations and reinforce economic cooperation between the two nations.
Bolat is also expected to hold high-level bilateral meetings and meet Turkish entrepreneurs active in Ukraine.
Türkiye's investments in Ukraine amount to approximately $3.5 billion, while Ukraine has invested around $16 million in Türkiye.
Their bilateral trade reached $6.2 billion last year. The implementation of the free trade deal, signed in February 2022, is projected to boost this trade volume to $10 billion in the near future.
Yumaklı's delegation will include Ahmet Güldal, general manager of the Turkish Grain Board (TMO), and Hasan Gezginç, general manager of the Turkish Agricultural Enterprises (TIGEM).
Their discussions are expected to center on the reconstruction of agricultural irrigation infrastructure and the removal of existing restrictions on the export of dairy products and poultry.
This visit demonstrates Türkiye's commitment to supporting Ukraine during its recovery while expanding opportunities for mutual growth and collaboration.
The trip comes nearly a month after Zelenskyy's visit to Türkiye for talks with Erdoğan amid efforts to find a lasting settlement in Ukraine three years into Russia's invasion.
It marked Zelenskyy's third visit to Türkiye since Russia sent troops to Ukraine in February 2022.
NATO member Türkiye has sought to maintain good relations with its warring Black Sea neighbors, with Erdoğan pitching himself as a key go-between and possible peacemaker between the two warring countries.
Ukraine on Tuesday said it was ready to support the United States' proposal for a 30-day cease-fire with Russia during talks in Saudi Arabia.
Washington later said it was resuming military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv, which it had suspended as it sought to push Ukraine to agree to terms to end the conflict.
After Russian forces advanced in 2024, U.S. President Donald Trump reversed U.S. policy on the war, launching bilateral talks with Moscow.
The Kremlin said on Wednesday it was awaiting details from Washington about the cease-fire proposal. Russia now holds around a fifth of Ukraine's territory, including Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.
Trump said he hoped for a swift cease-fire and thought he would talk to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin this week.
Türkiye, which has twice hosted Ukraine-Russia talks since the start of the war, also argues both sides must be seated at the table for any peace negotiations to work. The Kremlin has said a draft peace deal discussed between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul in 2022 could be the starting point for a settlement of the Ukraine crisis.
Ankara has provided drones for Ukraine but shied away from Western-led sanctions on Moscow. It had brokered a key Black Sea grain deal and prisoner exchanges between the sides.
