Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Friday that Türkiye is prepared to support any initiative that could bring Russia and Ukraine back to the negotiating table, reaffirming Ankara's long-standing role as a potential mediator as he concluded an official visit to Kyiv.
In a statement posted on social media following meetings with Ukrainian leaders, Fidan said his visit had further strengthened the strategic partnership between Türkiye and Ukraine and underscored Ankara's commitment to supporting efforts aimed at achieving a lasting peace.
"We are ready to support any initiative that will bring the parties back to the negotiating table and contribute to a permanent peace," he noted, reiterating Türkiye's position that the more than four-year war should be resolved through diplomacy.
During his visit, Fidan held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and senior presidential officials. According to the Turkish Foreign Ministry, the meetings focused on bilateral relations, regional developments and the latest situation in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Fidan said Türkiye welcomed the continued expansion of cooperation with Ukraine despite the ongoing conflict, describing the visit as "highly productive" and thanking Ukrainian officials for their hospitality.
The visit came shortly after Ukraine's Parliament ratified the Türkiye-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement, a development Fidan described as a milestone in economic relations between the two countries.
"The Free Trade Agreement will create new opportunities for our business communities and elevate our economic partnership to a much higher level," he said.
Türkiye has maintained close ties with both Kyiv and Moscow since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. While supplying military equipment to Ukraine and backing its territorial integrity, Ankara has also preserved diplomatic and economic relations with Russia, positioning itself as one of the few NATO members able to maintain dialogue with both sides.
Turkish officials have repeatedly offered to host renewed peace negotiations, following earlier rounds of talks held in Türkiye during the initial months of the war. Ankara has also played a central role in previous diplomatic initiatives, including efforts that led to the Black Sea grain export arrangement.
Fidan reaffirmed Türkiye's support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity during his meetings in Kyiv, according to the ministry.
The foreign minister also met with Crimean Tatar leaders Mustafa Abdulcemil Kırımoğlu and Refat Chubarov, discussing the situation of the Indigenous Tatar Muslim community in Russian-annexed Crimea.
"The protection of the rights of the Crimean Tatars and the preservation of their cultural identity will always remain a priority for Türkiye," Fidan emphasized.
During the visit, Zelenskyy awarded Fidan the Ukrainian Order of Merit, Second Class, recognizing what Ukrainian authorities described as his contribution to strengthening bilateral cooperation and Türkiye's support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Ukrainian Presidential Office said the decoration acknowledged Fidan's efforts to deepen cooperation between the two countries and his role in supporting Ukraine on the international stage.
In a statement released after the meeting, Zelenskyy thanked both Türkiye and Fidan for their efforts to advance peace.
"I met with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and presented him with the Ukrainian Order of Merit, Second Class. I thank Türkiye and Mr. Fidan for their efforts to achieve peace," Zelenskyy wrote on social media.
The Ukrainian president said he briefed Fidan on the latest battlefield developments and discussed diplomatic efforts that could help revive momentum toward a negotiated settlement.
"Today we discussed the diplomatic process and steps that could reinvigorate efforts to achieve peace," Zelenskyy said. "I informed him about the current situation on the front line, while Mr. Fidan shared his assessment of diplomatic contacts conducted at different levels."
Fidan said Türkiye would continue strengthening its strategic partnership and longstanding friendship with Ukraine in line with the vision of the two countries' presidents, emphasizing that cooperation would remain based on mutual trust and shared interests while Ankara continued to support initiatives aimed at securing a lasting peace.
