Tuesday is the 32nd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Ankara and Kyiv. Since then, ties flourished but they became most prominent during the Russia-Ukraine war. As “strategic partner” of Ukraine, Türkiye was one of the few countries able to bring together the sides in talks to end the conflict. Last year alone, Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Istanbul three times.
After the dissolution of the USSR, Türkiye was one of the first countries to recognize the independence of Ukraine, on Dec. 16, 1991. On Feb. 3, 1992, diplomatic relations were formally established. In 2011, they elevated the status of relations to a strategic partnership through the High-Level Strategic Council mechanism. In 2017, the two countries implemented a passport-free regime to strengthen economic and humanitarian ties. They are also major supporters of each other in multilateral platforms, from the United Nations to the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Despite its close ties with the Kremlin, Ankara is the fiercest opponent of Russia’s illegal annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea, adhering to Kyiv’s policy on the matter.
Throughout the conflict, Türkiye kept communication channels open with both sides. In 2022, it hosted the first talks between the sides in Antalya and Istanbul. When the conflict threatened international food security, Türkiye stepped in again and managed to get the sides to agree upon Black Sea Grain Initiative, which was formally signed by Russia, Ukraine, the United Nations and Türkiye in July 2022 in Istanbul.
Türkiye was also instrumental in a prisoner exchange between the two sides in September 2023. Last year, it brought the sides together again in Istanbul. Last May, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s office in Dolmabahçe was the venue of the latest round of negotiations. This last meeting led to an agreement for a new prisoner swap and future talks for a possible cease-fire. The Russian and Ukrainian delegations returned to Istanbul in June 2025, agreeing upon the exchange of bodies of soldiers killed in the war and prisoners under the age of 25. The third round of talks was held in Istanbul again in July, paving the way for another prisoner swap. Throughout the conflict, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made numerous visits to Türkiye, meeting Erdoğan, while Erdoğan’s last visit to Ukraine was in August 2022. However, Erdoğan and Türkiye’s top diplomats engaged in intense diplomatic efforts for the resolution of the conflict.
