Türkiye on Monday repeated its offer to host peace talks to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, which entered its fourth year.
Ankara backs a United States initiative to end the conflict but negotiations should involve both warring sides, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told a joint press with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov after meeting in Ankara.
Moscow and Washington have begun a direct dialogue in recent weeks against a backdrop of rapprochement between new U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
"We attach great importance to the new U.S. initiative as a result-oriented approach. We believe that a solution can be reached through negotiations in which both sides participate," Fidan told reporters.
Lavrov's visit comes on the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and a week after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to the Turkish capital.
Lavrov said Russia is ready for negotiations on the Ukraine war but will only stop fighting when a peace settlement "suits" Moscow.
He recalled that Russia had announced a cease-fire several times but that Ukraine had used them to reinforce its positions.
"We will stop hostilities only when these negotiations produce a firm and sustainable result that suits the Russian Federation," he said.
Russian and U.S officials held talks in Saudi Arabia in a meeting denounced by Zelenskyy, who fears an agreement reached without him.
Fidan, whose country hosted talks between Ukraine and Russia during the start of the war, said Türkiye was ready to take any step that would help bring peace.
"Türkiye is always prepared to assume any facilitating or accelerating role ... Our goal is to end this devastating war as soon as possible and to heal the wounds in the region," he said.
He also said that Ankara will continue its efforts to ensure navigation safety in the Black Sea, adding: "If implemented, this step will be an important confidence-building measure."
Lavrov announced that a new meeting between Russia and the U.S. would take place later this week to address obstacles in the operation of diplomatic missions.
The Russian diplomat also said he briefed Fidan about the results of last week’s talks in Riyadh.
"We have informed our Turkish friends in detail about the Russian-American talks that took place on Feb. 18 in Riyadh, which were highly appreciated in terms of the opportunity to finally have a normal dialogue, despite the numerous contradictions that, of course, persist," he said.
He also said an agreement with Ukraine was reached in Istanbul in April 2022, but former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson blocked it, and the West obstructed its implementation to weaken Russia.
Erdoğan’s government was also the first direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in March 2022, barely a month after the conflict broke out.
Major NATO member Türkiye has sought to maintain good relations with its warring Black Sea neighbors, with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pitching himself as a key go-between and possible peacemaker between the two.
Ankara has provided drones for Ukraine but shied away from Western-led sanctions on Moscow. It has brokered a grain deal under the shadow of conflict and prisoner exchanges between the sides.
According to Lavrov, Moscow is expecting the appointment of a U.S. representative to negotiate with Russia on the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict.
He also noted that Ukraine's non-accession to NATO should be a must in any future peace agreement.
Fidan separately emphasized it must be understood that Kyiv is demanding NATO accession not just to become a member but also to guarantee its national security.
Ukraine needs certain security guarantees to agree to a cease-fire or a peace agreement, Fidan argued in an interview with Bloomberg published Monday, noting that these guarantees were being discussed in “alternative scenarios.”
“If a large international coalition deployed along the lines of contact is not formed, a way to provide security guarantees for the Ukrainians could be NATO membership, or the Russians could have different ideas for security guarantees,” he said.
Fidan said he and Lavrov also discussed the latest developments in Syria following the ouster of Bashar Assad in December.
"We are fully convinced that Syria's territorial integrity and unity must be preserved,” Fidan said.
Türkiye and Russia share a similar view regarding putting an end to separatist movements in Syria, Fidan said.
There can be no tolerance for terrorist organizations taking root in Syria, he added.
U.S.-backed terrorist groups YPG and Daesh are two groups active in Syria. Though the latter lost significant clout thanks to Türkiye’s cross-border operations, YPG, the Syria wing of PKK, which killed thousands in Türkiye since the 1980s, remains active in northeastern Syria.
Türkiye and Russia backed opposing sides in Syria’s civil war that started in 2011, putting them on a collision course. Despite occasional spikes in bilateral tensions, Ankara and Moscow maintained cordial ties, including brokering a cease-fire for Syria in 2021.
Ankara seeks coordination with Moscow, making Turkish-Russian relations an essential factor in Syria’s future.
The new administration of Syria, which emerged as a major ally for Ankara, hinted at a resumption of ties with Russia, which played a role in crushing the opposition through military support to the Assad regime.
On Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip, which has been restrained with a fragile cease-fire deal last month, Fidan said Türkiye and Russia were “both deeply concerned” about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reigniting the war, in which more than 48,300 people, mostly women and children, have been killed since Oct. 7, 2023.
“A new genocide cannot be allowed,” Fidan told reporters.
He stressed that Israel must stop targeting the West Bank, as well, and called Israel’s efforts to forcibly displace Palestinians from their own homeland “unacceptable.”
Regional countries have displayed a shared stance on this issue, Fidan said, welcoming Russia's opposition to the deportation of Palestinians.
He condemned Israel’s expansionism toward Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, noting this policy “destabilizes the region, opens it to all sorts of risks, including terrorism.”
“We urge Netanyahu’s government to abandon these suicidal policies while there is still a chance and the international community to immediately apply the necessary pressure on this use,” Fidan said.
