Azernews.Az

By News Centre

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan delivered remarks ahead of the start of the Türkiye–Russia–Ukraine trilateral meeting.

In his opening address at the summit, Minister Fidan reaffirmed Türkiye’s objective of ending the war, stating:

“As the host country, our role is to provide a negotiation environment where both sides feel secure. We will continue to fulfil our responsibility as a facilitator with diligence.”

Minister Fidan continued: “Our goal is to end the war."

Our President, Mr Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has for years carried the torch of peace in a region fraught with conflict.

Under his leadership, Türkiye has made intense efforts from day one to help realise peace between Russia and Ukraine.

In the first two rounds of talks, we achieved important outcomes.

We are pleased to see that the prisoner exchanges conducted thus far have been recognised by the international community for their humanitarian impact.

The exchange of memoranda reflecting the perspectives of both parties on a ceasefire and peace during the second round was also a significant development.

In the interim, technical-level contacts between negotiation teams have continued.

In this third round of negotiations, our hope is that the parties will engage in substantive and results-oriented consultations on the exchanged memoranda.

The ultimate goal, of course, is a ceasefire that will pave the way towards peace.

As host, our responsibility is to provide a negotiation setting in which both sides feel safe.

As facilitators, we will continue to fulfil our duty with the utmost care.

Diplomacy is a process — but it only gains meaning if, at each step, concrete achievements are made to move forward positively.

Türkiye is always ready to fulfil its responsibilities to support the continuation of the process, depending on the consensus reached by the parties.

Should there be an emerging understanding toward a ceasefire, we have the infrastructure needed to support monitoring mechanisms.

We can also contribute to structuring future prisoner exchanges in a more systematic manner.

Through the Istanbul talks, we once again have the opportunity to show the world that diplomacy and dialogue are more effective than conflict and arms in securing peace.

I would like to thank the heads and members of the delegations once again, and I hope today’s negotiations will lead to positive outcomes for the peoples of Ukraine and Russia.”

Meanwhile, the Türkiye–Russia–Ukraine Trilateral Meeting, hosted by Türkiye in Istanbul, has officially begun.

Held at the Çırağan Palace, the meeting aims to bring an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine, ongoing since 24 February 2022.

The meeting is chaired by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and also attended by National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) Chief İbrahim Kalın and Chief of General Staff General Metin Gürak.

The Russian delegation includes Vladimir Medinskiy, adviser to President Vladimir Putin, and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin.

Representing Ukraine are Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council Rustem Umerov and Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya.

Türkiye brings both parties back to the table after three years

Immediately following the outbreak of war in February 2022, Türkiye succeeded in bringing Russia and Ukraine to the table in both Antalya and Istanbul during the same year. In May this year, it once again managed to host the two sides for trilateral talks in Istanbul — the first time in nearly three years.

Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine were held in Istanbul on 16 May and 2 June.