President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan discussed humanitarian assistance and developments related to the grain corridor with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a phone call on Thursday.
Erdoğan told Zelenskyy that Türkiye is ready to undertake the role of mediator for the facilitation of permanent peace between Russia and Ukraine. He also noted that Türkiye is ready to diplomatically contribute and expedite the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant process, as he said work is also being undertaken on prisoner exchange.
The president's phone call with Zelenskyy came shortly after he held another phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the same day. He told Putin that a unilateral cease-fire is needed to ensure peace in the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.
Putin said that Russia was ready for a dialogue on Ukraine, but that Kyiv must fulfil the previously announced requirements and take into account "new territorial realities." The Kremlin said the pair discussed "the unblocking of food and fertilizer supplies from Russia" and the need for "the removal of all barriers to Russian exports."
Russia briefly exited the deal in October after a drone attack on its Black Sea fleet. It re-entered the deal within days through Turkish mediation but officials have complained of restrictions on Russian products.
Türkiye had enabled a prisoner swap between the warring countries. Also, Turkish mediation proved vital in facilitating the signing of a deal between Türkiye, the United Nations, Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul to reopen certain Ukrainian ports to release grain that had been stuck for months owing to the ongoing conflict. This development has been crucial in responding to a growing global food crisis.
Türkiye is one of the most active countries working to ensure a permanent cease-fire between Ukraine and Russia. Its delicately balanced act of assuming a mediator role by keeping communication channels with both warring sides open provides a glimmer of hope in diplomatic efforts to find a solution and achieve peace in the Ukraine crisis. With its unique position of having friendly relations with both Russia and Ukraine, Türkiye has won widespread appreciation for its push to end the war.
Since the beginning of the conflict, Ankara has offered to mediate between the two sides and host peace talks, underlining its support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. While Ankara has opposed international sanctions designed to isolate Moscow, it also closed its straits to prevent some Russian vessels from crossing.
In a breakthrough, Russian and Ukrainian delegations met for peace talks in Istanbul on March 29, 2022. Türkiye also hosted Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers in Antalya earlier in March 2022.