Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov that Türkiye hopes for a diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine, as they held a meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 foreign ministers' meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Thursday.
Fidan also said Türkiye supports all initiatives aimed at preserving regional stability and prosperity, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.
During the meeting, high-level visits were planned for the upcoming period, and bilateral and regional developments were discussed
The ministers also exchanged views on the "dire humanitarian situation" in the Gaza Strip and steps that can be taken, the sources added.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Thursday published on her channel on the Telegram messenger app a picture of Lavrov and Fidan at the G-20.
Zakharova captioned the photograph: "Russo-Turkish talks in Rio." Lavrov is attending the G-20 as part of a wider series of visits to Latin America.
Türkiye, a NATO member state, has retained friendly relations with Russia since Moscow ordered tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, prompting a breakdown of relations with the U.S.-led military alliance.
The Kremlin has said that President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit Türkiye in March.
The trip, delayed twice since late last year, will mark Putin’s first visit to a NATO member state since he launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Ankara has sought to persuade Russia to return to the Black Sea Grain Initiative – brokered by Türkiye and the United Nations – that ensured the safe export of Ukrainian grain during the war via the Black Sea. Russia withdrew from the accord in July 2023 and has said it was not interested in reviving it.
Erdoğan and Putin last met in the Russian city of Sochi in September.
Elsewhere, Ankara and Moscow have a variety of policy differences regarding regional conflicts in Syria, Libya and the Southern Caucasus.
