President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reaffirmed Türkiye's commitment to diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war, saying Ankara hopes to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin following discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Speaking to journalists aboard his return flight from South Korea, Erdoğan emphasized Türkiye's determination to continue its mediation efforts and support initiatives aimed at achieving a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

In remarks published on Thursday, Erdoğan said Ankara intends to maintain diplomatic engagement with both Moscow and Kyiv, expressing his desire to speak with Putin following his meeting with Zelenskyy.

Türkiye has maintained diplomatic channels with both Russia and Ukraine since the outbreak of the war, repeatedly advocating negotiations as the most viable path toward a sustainable peace. It has played a role in facilitating diplomatic contacts between the two countries and consistently calling for an end to hostilities through dialogue.

Zelenskyy was in Istanbul last Saturday, where he met Erdoğan for talks focusing on the Black Sea grain corridor and maritime safety. Also on Saturday, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who was in the U.S. city of Atlanta for a G-20 foreign ministers’ meeting, called on both sides of the Russia-Ukraine conflict to make a deal to reach a peace agreement, warning that the nearly five-year war has inflicted enormous damage on the global economy and carries the risk of further regional escalation.

The conflict increasingly threatens Black Sea security, especially for Turkish-owned vessels, which have been targets of sometimes fatal drone attacks in the past few months, while Russia and Ukraine often blame each other for attacks. Türkiye is also a part of a maritime security group for the elimination of stray naval mines, a product of the conflict, in cooperation with Romania and Bulgaria.

Erdoğan said he had the opportunity to discuss peace efforts with Zelenskyy and explained how he emphasized the importance of diplomatic steps to end the war.

"We continue doing our best to pave the way to peace. After our meeting with Mr. Zelenskyy, we now want to turn our focus to Russia. Our foreign minister and other officials are contacting their Russian counterparts to arrange a meeting," he said.

Turning to developments in the U.S., Erdoğan expressed hope that the results of the U.S. midterm elections would contribute to lasting peace and stability in the region. "Wars, conflicts and oppression unfortunately continue all around us. We want our region to achieve peace as soon as possible. Our greatest wish is for the election results to contribute to lasting peace and stability in our region," Erdoğan noted.

The president also emphasized the longstanding strategic partnership between Türkiye and the U.S.: "Turkish-American relations are longstanding and rest on solid foundations. We are two NATO allies with a strategic relationship spanning many years."

U.S. President Donald Trump often boasts a close relationship with Erdoğan, something that was evident during his visit to Ankara for the NATO summit. Under Trump's tenure, Türkiye saw an apparent reversal of White House policies, which significantly deteriorated under the Biden administration. Nevertheless, Ankara still expects more concrete steps from Washington to improve ties, especially on defense deals suspended under the previous administration.

Azerbaijan visit

Erdoğan also announced plans to visit Azerbaijan on Nov. 8 to mark the country's Victory Day, reaffirming the close ties between Ankara and Baku.

The president described relations between Türkiye and Azerbaijan as extending far beyond conventional diplomatic engagement, emphasizing their shared history, culture and strategic partnership.

"Our relations with Azerbaijan go far beyond traditional diplomatic contacts. The unbreakable bond between our two countries is the product of our shared history, culture, destiny and, God willing, our future," he said. Erdoğan already congratulated Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev from the presidential plane on Monday as it was crossing Azerbaijani airspace en route to South Korea.