Minister Fidan: Turkey is ready to contribute to peace
Minister Fidan: Turkey is ready to contribute to peace
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said, "Regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, security guarantees are an issue we closely follow. In principle, Turkey is ready to contribute to peace."
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke at the joint press conference organized after his meeting with visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the Foreign Ministry.
Reminding that as the Russia-Ukraine War enters its 4th year, the US has launched an initiative aiming to end the war through negotiations, Fidan said, "This is in line with the policy we have been pursuing since the beginning of the war. We attach great importance to the new US initiative as a result-oriented approach. We believe that a solution can be reached through negotiations in which both sides will participate. In this context, we are ready to provide all kinds of support for the establishment of peace through negotiations. We are also ready to host the talks, as we have done before."
Minister Fidan also stated that Turkey will continue its efforts to ensure the safety of navigation in the Black Sea and said, "This step, if implemented, will be an important confidence-building measure."
Noting that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has shown great sensitivity on the issue of stopping the war in Ukraine, Fidan emphasized that Turkey has done its best to end the Russian-Ukrainian War from the beginning.
Fidan said, "The security guarantees and other issues that have been on the agenda in the recent talks between the US and Russia are issues that we are closely following. In principle, Turkey is ready to take any step that will contribute to peace."
Noting that he and his counterpart also discussed the developments in Syria today, Fidan said, "We firmly believe that Syria's territorial integrity and unity must be preserved. We have similar views on the need to prevent separatist movements."
"On the other hand, it is out of the question to tolerate the nesting of terrorist organizations in Syria," Fidan said.
Minister Fidan said that in a period of rapidly changing global and regional dynamics, it would be beneficial to increase consultation and coordination between Turkey and Russia, adding that they aim to deepen cooperation on bilateral and international issues in line with the goals set by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Stating that they can strengthen relations in areas such as energy, tourism, and trade, Fidan said that they discussed these issues in detail with his Russian counterpart Lavrov.
Pointing out that today is the 3rd anniversary of the Russian-Ukrainian War, Fidan said, "We want both of our neighbors to live in peace, tranquility, and prosperity. We want the loss of life and destruction caused by the war to end as soon as possible."
Noting that the war negatively affected different geographies, especially the global south, Fidan hoped for a lasting solution to this multidimensional crisis.
Emphasizing that Turkey has been supporting the resolution of the conflict through diplomacy and the establishment of lasting peace since the first day of the war, Fidan said, "Shortly after the outbreak of the conflict, we brought the parties together for the first time around the peace table in Istanbul. We successfully launched the Black Sea Grain Initiative and then continued our diplomatic efforts to bring the parties to peace."
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov: We will continue our talks with our US partners
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, on the Russia-Ukraine war, said, "It is not possible to end the war without eliminating the reasons for its emergence."
Stating that different views emerged during the talks with the US in Riyadh, Lavrov said, "We will continue our talks with our US partners. Military action can stop when the negotiations produce a result that satisfies us," Lavrov said.
"I have not heard a statement from the United States that the Istanbul talks are basically acceptable. Boris Johnson prevented Ukraine from signing it," Lavrov said.
Pointing out that comprehensive consultations will be held this week with the US to start embassy activities, Lavrov said, "I hope we will not face artificial obstacles."
"The US has created a pseudo-state in northern Syria, the aim is to support the separatists," Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said.