President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan highlighted the importance of Türkiye's strategic role for the European Union, as he met with Poland's prime minister in the capital Ankara on Wednesday.
"If the European Union wants to prevent or even reverse its loss of power and influence, it can only achieve this through Türkiye's full membership," Erdoğan told a joint press conference following a bilateral meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk at the Presidential Complex.
"We consistently emphasize that full EU membership remains our strategic goal. We frequently discuss with our counterparts our desire to advance cooperation with the EU based on mutual benefit and respect," Erdoğan said.
He noted that both leaders had the opportunity to discuss possible steps to end the war in Ukraine and also exchanged views on the future of European security and regional issues, including Syria and Palestine.
"We consider Ukraine's acceptance of a cease-fire as positive and important. We now hope Russia will respond constructively," Erdoğan said.
He reiterated Türkiye’s willingness to host any potential peace talks, stating, "If the latest developments lead Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table, we are ready to facilitate discussions."
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.
Ankara has provided drones for Ukraine but shied away from Western-led sanctions on Moscow. It has brokered a grain deal under the shadow of conflict and prisoner exchanges between the sides.
For his part, Tusk expressed hope that Ankara would play a key role in promoting peace.
"I made a clear proposal to President Erdoğan: that Türkiye takes on the greatest possible responsibility in the peace process, ensuring stability and security across our region," he said. He noted that Erdoğan would be visiting Warsaw next month.
"It's becoming clear that cease-fire and later peace is a goal for Poland, Türkiye and the U.S. It all gives hope that Türkiye and Poland will give a positive tone to events in Ukraine and Europe," Tusk said.
The Polish prime minister also said Türkiye and Poland would work together to achieve stability in Syria and the region.
Tusk stated his desire to see Türkiye in the EU, saying: "We really hope that the process of Türkiye's entry into the EU is now a realistic and tangible process. We have always supported Türkiye in this regard and we will continue to do so."
He also said they want the trade volume between the two countries to reach $15 billion and that he believes they will reach this, and that they have already exceeded $12 billion.
Saying that stabilizing the region is Poland's goal, Tusk underlined that Ukraine's reconstruction is also one of the goals and that this is an opportunity for both Polish and Turkish companies.
Tusk said they also had the chance to participate in big projects, adding that they are planning to work on the construction of a high-speed train system and that Türkiye is experienced in this field.
Stating that they want to benefit from Türkiye's experience, Tusk said that today is a very valuable day in terms of cooperation and relations.
Before departing from Warsaw, Tusk emphasized the importance of NATO and European countries working together effectively to guarantee stability along the Russia-Ukraine border following any truce. "Türkiye’s role could be crucial in this regard," he added.
The proposal for an unconditional 30-day cease-fire in Ukraine emerged during talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday between Ukrainian and U.S. officials, as the war enters its fourth year.
Meanwhile, Russia stated that it is awaiting official notification from the United States regarding the cease-fire proposal, following the recent resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
