Responding to reports about Türkiye's willingness to join a planned peacekeeping mission for Ukraine, Turkish sources confirmed that the matter may be considered if needed.
"The issue of contributing to a mission ... will be evaluated with all relevant parties if deemed necessary for the establishment of regional stability and peace," Defense Ministry sources said on Thursday.
Remarks came as European Union leaders were meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Brussels to seek ways of bolstering the defenses of both Ukraine and Europe after U.S. President Donald Trump suspended military aid to Kyiv and intelligence sharing to help it fight off Russia's invasion.
Paris and London have already expressed a willingness to deploy troops to Ukraine to ensure that a possible future cease-fire is preserved, without saying what role those troops would play. Bolstering European defenses has taken on acute urgency after Trump made clear his desire to quickly end the three-year war in Ukraine through direct negotiations with Moscow.
Powerful NATO member Türkiye has sought to maintain good relations with both of its Black Sea neighbors since the conflict broke out three years ago and has twice hosted direct talks aimed at ending the war. Last month, Bloomberg News reported that Türkiye was open to providing troops to a peacekeeping force, and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan discussed the matter with Zelenskyy and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in separate meetings in the capital of Ankara.
"Our belief remains that a just and lasting peace can be achieved through equal and fair representation of both sides. Our country will continue to support all constructive initiatives aimed at ensuring peace in the region, maintaining the Black Sea as a sea of peace, and contributing to the reconstruction of Ukraine. Additionally, we are closely coordinating with the relevant institutions of our government to follow up on multifaceted diplomatic efforts to end the war. While this has been expressed in various forums, the issue of contributing to a mission that has yet to be framed conceptually will be evaluated in mutual consultation with all parties involved, should it be deemed necessary for regional stability and peace," sources said.
Europe, in the meantime, considers a joint defense against what they deemed a threat from Russia as the United States is rethinking defense support to the continent under President Donald Trump. Türkiye advocates more integration into Europe, which long-stalled its efforts to join the EU and, at times, slowed down processes related to defense cooperation upon what Ankara says are political motives.
"As a NATO and OSCE member and an EU candidate country, Türkiye is an integral part of the European security architecture with its developing defense industry, key roles in resolving regional crises and a strong military. In light of recent developments, as the security architecture is being reshaped, it is impossible to ensure European security without our country. However, continuing to block Türkiye’s participation in the EU's defense initiatives for political reasons would be a grave mistake. In this period of heightened security concerns in Europe, Türkiye's full participation in the EU’s defense efforts is crucial for Europe to be a global actor," sources said.