Ukraine and Russia have recently moved away from diplomacy and the peace process, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Tuesday as new rounds of missile attacks struck Ukraine this week.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has long sought to bring together Russian and Ukrainian counterparts Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy for truce talks in Istanbul.
Citing the latest rise in tensions between Ukraine and Russia Çavuşoğlu said Türkiye is the "only NATO country that has visited" the two warring countries since the Moscow-Kyiv war started in February.
"Unfortunately both sides moved away from negotiations and the peace process. The balances have changed since both sides are pursuing gains on the field. The struggle for superiority is ongoing," Çavuşoğlu said in a televised interview on TVNET.
The latest actions by Ukraine and Russia have "made the situation even more difficult," he stressed, saying both sides are aware of Türkiye's balanced policy regarding the situation.
Türkiye continues its diplomacy without disrupting its relations with Russia and Ukraine, the Turkish minister affirmed, adding that his country displays a position in line with international law.
He also stressed that everyone, especially Ukraine, is paying the price for ending the dialogue with Russia.
Türkiye carries out policies that aim to minimize the effects of war, Çavuşoğlu also said, and noted that there would have been no grain deal if Türkiye had joined the Western countries' position and sanctions against Russia.
"A cease-fire must be established as soon as possible. The sooner the better," he underlined.
"As the Ukraine-Russian war drags on, unfortunately, the situation gets worse and more complicated," he added.
He also called for a "just peace" based on Ukraine's territorial integrity.
"There must be a just peace for Ukraine. Where is the war going on? It's on Ukrainian soil," he said.
"A process that will ensure Ukraine's border and territorial integrity should start. Without a cease-fire, it is not possible to talk about those issues in a healthy way: A viable cease-fire and a just peace."
"As Türkiye, we support the territorial integrity of Ukraine. That's why we declared that we rejected the referendum," he added.
Türkiye has rejected Russia's annexation of four Ukrainian provinces as a "grave violation" of international law and called for negotiations to end the conflict.
Most recently, Türkiye 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 because of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war – a development that 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 role as a mediator 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 praise 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 through them.